The Art of Deception
by violetstars1039
Summary: Dean and Sam have set up base in New Orleans hunting voodoo queens and venegful spirits. They are shocked when a young man shows up in New Orleans talking about a yellow eyed demon and claiming to need their help. A new threat was released two years ago when they opened the gates of hell and now he has his sights set on the brothers. Sequel to Under Your Skin and Wayward Son.
1. Chapter 1

Story Notes:

Warnings/Spoilers: through Season 4

Author's Chapter Notes:

*~I don't own anything, characters belong to eric. I'm just playing in his sandbox.~*

**_"She was practiced at the art of deception. Well, I could tell by her blood stained hands." _**

**I. **

**LSU Medical Center **

**2021 Perdido St **

**New Orleans, LA **

The E.R. was busy today, especially for a Sunday which meant Lexi barley had a moment to catch her breath before being paged again. She wasn't really that surprised by this, it was parade season after all. Although, it was normally drunken tourists or Frat guys that got into it with someone down on Bourbon Street but this last patient was different. He wasn't intoxicated and his drug screen came back clean. Lexi was somewhat confused and didn't understand why she had been paged until the nurse that handed her the chart leaned in and whispered, "He's claiming a demon beat him up."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. He's spinning some tale about a man with yellow eyes. Figured we'd let you talk to him while we wait for Psych to get down here. Ya know you do have a way with the crazies."

Lexi flipped through the chart the nurse handed her scanning it quickly before snapping it closed. She glanced back up at the nurse giving her a weary smile. "I'll go talk to him. He's either nuts or tripping on some club drug."

She grabbed one of the plastic cups and pitcher that was sitting next to the water station filling it with ice and water. Her eyes darted quickly around the corridor making sure no one was watching while she reached into her pocket pulling out a small engraved silver flask. She emptied the contents into the pitcher quickly and slipped the flask back into her lab jacket pocket before heading to the patient's room. She entered the room smiling as she sat the pitcher on the side table, "Hello, I'm Dr. Winchester. How are you feeling?"

The patient sat straight up in the bed and stared at her his blue eyes wide. He appeared to be in a state of shock as he sat there looking at her not saying anything. He continued eyeing her as if he was trying to decide whether or not she was to be trusted. After a few minutes he finally spoke asking, "Winchester? Did you say WINCHESTER? As in Sam, Dean….JOHN Winchester? I need to see them! I NEED TO TALK TO THEM! "

"Yes, I said my name's Dr. Winchester. Why don't you tell me what's going on with you, Mr. Milligan?"

"John didn't answer his phone and the message said to call his son Dean. So I called Dean but the number is disconnected. I NEED to talk to Dean."

"Why don't you tell me what happened? Was it really a demon or were you having a little too much Mardi gras fun down on Bourbon?"

"I'M NOT CRAZY AND I'M NOT DRUNK EITHER! I didn't think anything of it when he sat down next to me. He looked like a normal guy; thin, tall, EXPENSIVE suit, but he had fucking YELLOW eyes. He said his name was Ares. Are you related to Sam and Dean? Are you another one of John's kids?"

Lexi nodded taking a seat next to his bed and poured him a glass of water. She handed him the cup smiling encouragingly, "You should drink something. How do you know about demons? Were you possessed?"

"I am not possessed." Adam huffed before tipping the glass of water into his mouth and draining it completely.

"You can talk to me or you can go up to the psych ward. If they bring you up there they're allowed to hold you for seventy two hours for observation."

"John Winchester is my father. Didn't even know I had two brothers. He never told me. Hell, I only ever saw the man three times in my entire life. My mom's dead. That's why I called. She said if anything ever happened to call John. So, that's what I did. She died a little over two months ago. They killed her….this….this demon killed her."

"I'm sorry. I can help you though. That's if you want it and if you do you're going to have to stop talking about demons. I'm going to take some blood and tell them I'm running another drug screen cuz I think you're not crazy, that you're some frat boy that got outta hand. You're not to leave this room either. Okay?"

"Okay, thank you." Adam nodded thankful that someone finally believed him. For some reason he knew he could trust this woman even though he barely knew her for more than twenty minutes. There was just something about her that put him at ease but he still had to know how she was connected to his father, for all he knew she could be his older sister. "How do you know them?"

"I'm Dean's wife." Lexi said matter of factly while taking blood from him, "And another thing, you keep yelling about demons, demons will come looking for you. The yellow or white eyed ones have minions and lots of them. They have black eyes and can be anyone. You won't know it until they want you to know it."

"Oh, good to know."

Lexi looked out the pane of glass in the room's door making sure no one was standing around outside and locked the door. She then pulled out a small container of salt from her lab coat making a straight line in front of the door. He watched her curiously as she did the same thing in front of the room's window before coming back over to him and handing him her silver flask. "What's this and what's with the salt?"

"The salt will keep them from coming in through the door or window. And the flask is full of holy water in case one of them decides to come through the vent. Keep the flask out of sight. Now, Adam, do you have any proof you're John's kid? Dean's not just going to take your word for it."

"Yeah, actually." Adam nodded pulling out his wallet and handing her a photo, "Here, he took me to a ball game once. It was on my birthday. I only ever saw him two times after that. I remember that big black car he drove, that thing was sweet."

"Don't go around announcing you're John Winchester's son. You're only putting a bull's eye on your back. He wasn't very well liked by hunters or the things he hunted."

"That demon knew who I was. He said he could bring my mom back but it can't really be that easy right?"

"Demons can read your thoughts and they lie. Sure he can bring her back in exchange for your soul. They act like you going to hell is no big deal but there's a reason why they want out of hell so bad. It's hell." Lexi gave him a small smile before turning to the door to leave, "Don't worry, you're going to be fine, we won't let anything happen to you."

Lexi headed to the nurse's station placing Adam's chart on the counter. She shook her head laughing slightly meeting the nurse's eyes, "He's not crazy. Call psych and tell them not to bother coming down. I'm going to run his tox screen again myself. Oh, and have someone bring him a tray. That boy needs to eat something. Gotta love parade season."

**Jackson Square **

**New Orleans, LA **

Dean smiled at the tourists milling around the church steps in Jackson Square. They weren't just tourists to him. They were easy marks and dollar signs. He couldn't express how much he loved this damn city. It was a con man's paradise. In New Orleans there was a never ending line of people willing to be cheated out of their money. It was so easy thanks to the to go windows of the bars in the Quarter. His marks were either too drunk or too stupid to realize that they were being swindled. Of course both Sam and Lexi got on his case about getting an honest job. But why would he do that when this was quick and simple. Dean had to admit he sure did love living in the big easy.

He led another customer to Jackie's table as he kept one eye on Jake who was playing behind her table. Dean smirked watching him grip the cast iron fence pulling himself up onto the ledge so he could see the people in the park. "Hey, buddy, what did I say about climbing up here?" Dean asked trying to sound stern as he pulled his two year old clone off the ledge, "Your mom will kill me if you fall and hurt yourself."

Jake ducked his head staring at his feet to avoid his father's gaze. He kicked at the ground making Dean want to pick him up and forget about scolding him. He knew he couldn't do that no matter how pathetic Jake looked at the moment. Jake lifted his head slightly meeting his father's eyes and whispered. "Not to."

"That's right. So, you sit here and play or I'm gonna bring you home to Uncle Sammy."

"NO I BE GOOD!"

Dean picked Jake up and ruffled his blonde hair causing him to pull a face and squirm in his father's arms. Dean smirked setting Jake behind Jackie's chair with his Legos and hot wheels before sitting down on the ground himself to play with his son. Jake huffed when their playtime was interrupted by Dean's ringing cell phone. He tickled Jake with one hand and answered his cell with other, "Hey, Lex, what's up?"

"Is Jake with you?"

"Yes, he's with me." Dean sighed preparing himself for his wife's rant. She went on and on about how she didn't want Jake out in the square with him and Jackie while they hustled tourists, which then turned into why he couldn't get a "real" job. He nodded half listening to what Lexi was saying to him throwing an uh huh and yes out there every so often until she said, "I need you down here now Dean."

"Why? What happened? You want me to bring Sam and Jackie?"

"It's really huge. No, no, just you for right now. Have them page me, I'm gonna be in the lab."

"Ok, 'm leaving now." Dean snapped his phone shut looking around before turning his attention to Jackie, "Can you watch Jake?"

"Um no. I'm not enduring the wrath of your wife. Besides that he messes with my vibrations. I can't give accurate readings if I'm distracted by the Tasmanian devil now can I?"

"Yeah, yeah cuz you got the gift."

"Where you headed?"

"Hospital. She said it was huge. Virus I'm guessing. Say bye to Aunt Jackie, Jake."

Jake smiled and waved bye to Jackie looking like a little angel. He looked up at Dean his little eyebrows raised in a question mark. Dean winked at him giving him the okay before Jake screamed on the top of his lungs, "BYE BOOBIES!"

**LSU Medical Center **

Dean walked through the hospital's lobby pushing Jake in his stroller with one thing on his mind, what the hell was so important that he had to get down here immediately. He was distracted and didn't think anything of the smirks and smiles Lexi's female coworkers threw his way, that is until he reached the nurse's station. He flashed his most adorable smile at the nurse behind the desk asking her to page his wife, Dr. Winchester. He thanked her, winking at her for good measure. She looked from Jake to Dean trying not to smile, "Guess you're not here for a quickie in her office."

"I dunno what you're talking about."

"Hmm mmm, I heard all about it. You made quiet the ruckus. No wonder she wants to climb you like a tree."

Dean smiled this time, one of his big cheeky grins and leaned up against the counter of the nurse's station in full on flirt mode. The older nurse rolled her eyes paging Lexi as she did so wondering how in the world Lexi put up with this wanna be Casanova. Dean didn't seem to notice the eye roll nor would he have cared if he did because well Dean was Dean and he never let that kind of stuff deter him. He continued to flirt with her until she slapped him upside the head with a folder telling him she'd do a lot worse to him if he didn't knock his shit off. Lexi came rushing down the hallway a few moments after the page, her heels clicking loudly on the linoleum floor. She grabbed Dean by his arm pulling him quickly down the corridor to her office; once they were inside she locked the door and gestured for him to sit down.

"What's going on, Lex?"

"I don't know how to tell you this so I'm just gonna come out with it. You have a brother."

"I'm very aware of that."

"No, Dean, you have ANOTHER brother. He's here."

Dean stared at her dumbfounded for a moment or two. He blinked, she had to be kidding, this was one of those hidden camera shows that he watched when he was bored. There was no way. This was a mistake, there was no way he had another brother, it was impossible. He could tell by the way Lexi was chewing on her bottom lip that she wasn't pulling some kind of practical joke on him, that's when he found his voice again. "Excuse me? You mean like a half-brother? Are you SHITTING me right now?"

"Yes, exactly, you and Sam have a younger half-brother." Lexi said quietly handing Dean a chart, "That's his chart. I'm running a DNA test against that sample of blood you gave me to use to work on the virus. I should have the results in a few days."

"So you have no real proof…."

"Dean, he's John's son. He has a pictures of them together…..he described the car."

"You have no REAL proof; you're just taking his word for it."

"I'm psychic! I'm telling you he's not lying. Ya know what, fine, don't listen to me but you can go talk to him yourself and see if he's lying."

Adam flipped through the channels restlessly; there was nothing on, daytime television really sucked. He was bored out of his mind and really just wanted to get the hell out of there but he knew if he left he might not be able to find his brothers on his own. He examined the silver flask Lexi had given him, it was sort of on the small size, actually it was kind of dainty but what interested him was the writing that was engraved on it. It wasn't English; it looked like maybe it could be Latin. He traced the cross and the words, si vis pacem, para bellum, with his index finger wondering what they meant; it seemed odd to him that she would carry something like this. Adam sat up straight when he heard voices outside his hospital room door. He stared at the door nervously while he unscrewed the cap of the flask. He got out of the bed pressing his back against the wall as close as he could to remain out of sight. The moment the door swung open, Adam didn't hesitate to throw the water on the man that walked into the room. Dean stopped dead in his tracks blinking and spitting the water out of his mouth. He turned towards the culprit ready to throttle him and growled, "What the hell?"

Dean was followed into the room by Lexi who was carrying a rambling Jake who was giving his mother a very detailed account of what his father gave him to eat that day as best as a two year old could. She was only half listening to her son distracted by Dean's angry wet face, her eyes widening when she noticed the open flask in Adam's hand. She had a good idea of what had happened but she just wanted to hear them say it for her own amusement. She shifted Jake to her other hip trying not to smile and sound innocent when she asked them, "What's going on here?"

"He threw Holy water in my face!"

Lexi had to bite her lip to keep from laughing; the indignation on Dean's face was just too much. His fists were clenched and his face was a very deep shade of red. The last time she had seen her husband this mad was when Jake had colored the back seat of the Impala with markers on the way back from seeing Bobby. She turned to Adam her eyebrow arched and using her motherly voice posed the question, "Adam, why would you waste Holy water? I told you demons can't cross a salt line."

"I forgot! I just saw this huge psycho looking guy! I panicked!"

This time Lexi couldn't hold back and burst out laughing drawing dirty looks from both Dean and Adam. She laughed a moment or two longer before gaining her composure, once she did she gestured at the two men stating simply, "Well, this is Dean. Dean, this is Adam."

"He's a real genius I see." Dean huffed.

"Hey man, you don't look all warm and fuzzy, ya know."

Both Adam and Dean stared at each other as if they were sizing up the competition. What was really happening though was that, Adam was searching Dean's face for something that would show some kind of shared family trait while Dean was searching for proof in the younger man's face that John was not his father. Dean didn't see anything of his father in Adam's face, in fact to Dean; Adam looked nothing like John at all. Even if there was something there he wasn't going to admit it, no way was this kid related to him and Sam. He just wasn't ready to accept that this kid was his brother or that John kept this secret from him, no matter what Lexi or her test results said.

The air in the room became thick and tense, neither of them speaking a word. The only sound in the room was the whir of the air conditioning being pumped through the vents. Dean crossed his arms engaging Adam into a staring contest as he mirrored Dean's movements. Lexi would have found it all very comical if it wasn't for the deathly glares they were throwing at each other. She pulled Jake closer to her body slapping Dean lightly on the arm telling him to be nice as she gave him a pointed look before leaving the two men alone.

Neither one of them said anything for at least ten minutes after Lexi had left them alone. They continued their staring contest but Adam was the first one to relax dropping his arms to his sides. For some reason he thought this burly guy is not going to harm me no matter how imposing he looks. He cleared his throat meeting Dean's eyes and finally broke the silence. "So, John killed demons, uh?"

"Yeah, monsters too. He…Dad was the best."

"I'm guessing you do too. Is it like a family business type thing?"

Dean shifted and nodded his head trying to think of the best way to explain his and Sammy's life without telling this kid everything incase Lexi missed something. He knew that was bullshit, she didn't miss anything, she was too well trained and besides he was holding her silver flask. He rubbed his face and thought, 'What the hell, what's the worst that can happen?' Dean sat down in the chair beside the bed stretching out his long legs while looking up at Adam, "My brother…..our brother, Sammy does and his wife, Jackie does too. Lexi, not really, she's trained and knows how. Lex comes out every now and then but she's a doctor ya know. This place keeps her pretty tied up plus she has this thing about guns. She's a real good shot but she hates 'em and I'm not about to let her out there with nothing but some little pig sticker."

Adam nodded sitting back down onto the bed staring at Dean as he did so. Adam was quiet, chewing on his bottom lip while processing what he was just told. Dean could practically see the gears turning in the kids head knowing full well this kid must think they're all buckets of crazy. When he finally spoke to Dean again he asked him if the blonde kid was his, not really what Dean was expecting to be asked. He thought for sure he'd ask him how John got into the whole hunting thing in the first place but he answered Adam anyway. "Yup. His name's Jacob but we call 'im Jake. He's a handful."

Adam nodded once again, his eyebrows knotted up, "And how does that work? A hunter? Is that what you guys call yourself? I mean how do you do that shit with a toddler?"

"Dude, it's not like he's out there with us. We don't move around like we did when we were kids, unless we have to. I'm not gonna lie and say everything's peachy fucking keen. It's not and it never will be if you're a Winchester. The bottom always drops out, something's always gonna be on your ass. So, either you kill it or you fucking die trying. Winchesters stick together….we handle it…..keep each other safe."

Adam threw Dean a mirror image of his own cheeky smirk before saying, "Wow man, THAT was really inspirational. I mean it, THAT speech right there makes me wanna enlist."

Dean huffed realizing now why Sammy got annoyed with him so much. Being a smart ass to someone else was one thing but to have it thrown back at you, well Dean didn't like that part so much. "Shud up, ass hat. My wife says you're staying with us. We got an apartment it's only two bedrooms though, so you gotta crash with the kid if that's ok with you. Me and Sammy can train you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, man you should at least know how to defend yourself." Dean smiled slightly smacking Adam's shoulder,

"Hey, stay here and let Lex keep an eye on you. You can flirt with some nurses….watch a little TV and I'll see you later tonight. She'll bring you back to the apartment. Alright, man, I'm gonna go….."

**An hour later **

Lexi went down to Adam's hospital room to bring him back to the apartment. She had to admit she was kind of annoyed with Dean, he should be the one taking Adam home and making sure he was okay. Of course, she wasn't surprised Dean was avoiding him like the plague; he was the king of denial and was probably already half way through a fifth of whiskey by now. She walked into the room a small smile on her face asking if he was hungry. Adam nodded jumping out of bed and grabbing his duffle bag, "I'm starving….haven't eaten in a couple days."

"Didn't they bring you a plate of food?"

"Food? Is that what that slop was supposed to be?"

Lexi laughed hooking her arm through his as she led him out of the hospital. They made their way to the corner in silence, Adam looking around cautiously before lighting his cigarette. He inhaled deeply trying to relax but that was kinda hard these days now that he knew what was really out there.

"Those things are gonna kill you slowly."

"Yeah and that demon would've killed me quickly. I don't really see the difference; I mean what does it matter now?"

"Oh no sweetie, a demon would take their time killing you cuz of who you are."

"Doesn't matter…..Hey can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What does the writing on your flask mean?"

Adam handed the flask back to Lexi and watched her turn it over in her hands thoughtfully before slipping it back into the pocket of her jacket. He thought he saw a flicker of sadness on her face but when she turned back to him there was a trace of a smile on her lips. She slipped her arm back through his before answering, "My mother was a hunter and the flask belonged to her. It's one of the only things I have of hers, the inscription si vis pacem, para bellum is Latin and it translates, 'If you wish for peace, prepare for war.' It's very fitting for a hunter I think."

Lexi caught Adam's eye before he dropped his gaze to his shoes, she squeezed his arm in an attempt to comfort him but the truth was she knew what he was feeling wasn't going to be forgotten that quickly. They stood there in silence as they waited for the street car that would bring them back to the Quarter. Adam looked at her lighting up like a little kid when the red street car came to a stop in front of them. He reminded her so much of Jake, maybe that was why she took his word completely when he said that he was John's kid and didn't need the test results. Whatever it was she knew Adam wasn't lying about who he was and why he came looking for Dean and Sam. She tugged his arm and smiled, "C'mon, I'm gonna take you to a real New Orleans restaurant."

"Right now?"

"Yes right now. You said you were hungry and I don't cook."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Chapter Notes:

*~I don't own anything. Please review.~*

**Jackson Square**

Sam sat in the chair next to Jackie glaring at the tourists as they passed by. He couldn't believe how gullible these people were. What were the chances of finding a real psychic that set up shop in front of St. Louis Cathedral? They had to know these people were a bunch of charlatans. Yet, they still handed over their ten dollars enthusiastically. It made Sam sick to his stomach. It wasn't like Sam had never hustled some guy at pool or cards but he didn't take enjoyment from it the way Dean and Jackie did. What made him angry was the fact that both Dean and Jackie could get honest jobs. There was no reason why Dean couldn't work somewhere as a mechanic and Jackie could tattoo or even sell her art work at the French Market. Instead, they decided it was more profitable to cheat the never ending stream of tourists that tramped through this city on a daily basis.

Sam glanced at the woman that had happily taken the seat across from Jackie snorting in disgust. He ignored the dirty look Jackie had surely thrown in his direction deciding that it was time to chase these idiots away. "You know she's nothing but a fraud. She doesn't have a psychic bone in her body. Oh, and she's not Romanian, she's Mexican from East L.A."

"Pay no attention to this non believer. He is a BITTER man that has been marked by great tragedy and is surrounded by all sorts of DEMONIC energy."

"Whatever Ms. Jacqueline pack up and let's go or I'll call your mother and tell her you're doing psychic readings in front of a Catholic church."

Jackie attempted to keep her cool in front of the client but vowed to do bodily harm to Sam once they were home. She made a big show of fixing her veils before standing and addressing the client, "I deeply apologize for this terrible interruption. You will seek what you find when you seek it with all your heart. I must go now."

"Get that from a fortune cookie, Jack?"

"Oh shut up, Sam! You're such a pain in my ass sometimes, ya know that."

"Whatever, I'm hungry and it's $5.99 steak night at Déjà vu. I wanna get there before it gets crowded."

"HMMM, steak, now that sounds awesome." Jackie took off her veils and gold earrings placing them carefully in her bag. She began to pack up the rest of her things or props as Sam referred to them. She had tarot cards, candles, crystals and a star patterned table cloth that she picked up in some "voodoo" store for tourists. Once she had everything packed and the table and chairs folded up she turned to Sam whose lips were in a rigid thin straight line. "Your brother is at the hospital by the way. Lexi called and said she had something huge to tell him."

"Uh, maybe she's knocked up. Dean said something about her wanting to buy a house and try for another one."

"Seriously? She's nuts."

"Dean didn't tell you about his little visit to the hospital a few weeks ago? And here I thought he told you EVERYTHING. She called him and said come over here I'm ovulating."

"No, all he said was that he went over there for a quickie. He probably didn't say anything cuz he knows I'd be busting his balls over it."

They made the short walk up to their apartment that was on the corner of Royal and St. Peter streets in silence so Jackie could drop off her belongings. The apartment they shared was on the second floor over a gift shop, complete with wrought iron balconies, French doors and shutters. It was fairly large considering how old the building was. Jackie loved it. To her, it screamed New Orleans. She could throw open the French doors and battered aqua blue shutters and let the sound of the Quarter stream inside. Sam hated when she opened all the windows, he said it was because he was hot and wanted the air conditioning on, but Jackie knew better. Sam always complained about the street noise and their noisy neighbors that lived above them, which, funny enough happened to be Dean and Lexi. Tonight, the kid from New York had claimed the corner across the way, the sound of him singing the blues was floating through the open window.

After they both changed their clothes they made the five blocks walk to the corner of Dauphine and Conti Street where Déjà vu was located for dinner. It had become sort of a weekly routine. Every Tuesday night was spent at Déjà vu for their $5.99 steak special. Jackie was actually somewhat surprised that Sam wanted to go every week but then again where else can you get a New York Strip so cheap? On the way there, they talked about how Lexi could have convinced Dean into having another kid; Sam's bet was that Dean was just into it whereas Jackie thought she had black mailed him somehow.

"I'm gonna give him so much shit when I see him."

"Come on, Jackie, it's not that surprising. He's a big softie, besides Dean loves being a dad."

"Yeah, I know that but you know how he is." Jackie snorted shaking her head, "Mr. Badass hunter over here."

Sam didn't say anything for a moment before changing the subject to how she earns her money. Jackie rolled her eyes as she listened to Sam go on and on about what she and Dean are doing is wrong for what felt like the hundredth time. Of course she countered with the argument that they made good money and it freed them up for hunting unlike if she was tattooing again. Sam didn't seem to understand that she wouldn't be available for a hunt if she had clients booked. All Sam could argue is that hustling is wrong but Jackie didn't see it as wrong and neither did Dean. It wasn't like they were holding a gun to these people; they willingly sat down at her table and forked over the $10.00 for her to "read" them. Sam, however, wanted her to sell her artwork which he deemed to be a more respectable way of making a living. The only thing that shut him up was when she pointed out that he didn't even use his real name to gain employment. Now how respectable is that?

Sam held the green door of the dive open for Jackie, the rush of the air conditioning hitting them hard. The place was small and dark with only four booths and a handful of tables scattered about the room. There was a full sized bar running the length of the place which made anyone feel like a local when sitting there. The décor was sparse, mostly stringed lights and Jazz Fest posters from years past. Jackie smirked when she saw Dean sitting in the last booth. He had Jake on his lap feeding him nachos one at a time. Jake was covered in sour cream and refried beans, his chubby little hands grabbing the nachos from Dean greedily. Jackie and Sam slid into the booth across from them, Jackie stealing a nacho and Sam scrunching his face up in disgust.

"Well, no more Gypsy Rose, Ace. Sammy's, threatening to call my mother. 'Sell paintings, Jackie.' That's what he says. Like that's gonna pull in money. He has "moral" issues with it."

"Wha? That puts food on our tables." Dean glared at Sam taking a swig of his Abita Amber beer. He mumbled the word bitch looking straight at Sam who pretended not to hear Dean. Instead, Sam acted like he was focused on the menu hiding behind it as he flipped through it. Dean shook his head snatching the menu from Sam and hitting him with it, "Stop being a little bitch. We all know you're here for the steak."

"Maybe I want to look at their drinks, Dean."

"Yeah, okay. You want me to order you something with one of those little umbrellas? Maybe a hurricane? You think you can handle that, Samantha?"

"Shut up, jerk."

Jackie rolled her eyes wondering how long their arguing would go on before they started wrestling on the floor like children. She let them bicker a few more minutes until she couldn't take their childish nonsense any longer. She threw Sam a dirty look before turning to Dean and interrupted his impression of Sam, "So what was Lexi's news?"

"We supposedly have a brother…I mean half-brother."

Both Sam and Jackie became quiet staring at Dean waiting for him to smile goofily and tell them he was pulling their chains. When that didn't happen they both exchanged glances wondering how Dean of all people could be so nonchalant about something this huge. Of course they wanted details but they both knew they had to tread carefully unless they wanted Dean to clam up and just make grunting noises. Jackie leaned forward her elbows resting on the table speaking softly, "How'd he find you and what now? Does he know who you guys are and what you do? Is he staying with you?"

"Dad's voicemail message, call my son Dean…."

Jackie nodding leaning back against the booth and kicking his foot while trying really hard not to smirk, "So a new brother AND you're trying to get knocked up?"

"Uh? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, yeah you do. Sammy spilled the beans. She calls you up and you go running, is that how it works?"

Dean raised his eyebrow and shook his head. He couldn't believe what a bitch his brother was. Did he have to tell his wife everything? Hell he didn't tell Lexi everything, a man's gotta keep some shit to himself. He chewed his steak slowly before finally answering Jackie, "One, it was sex. Two, it was work sex….on her desk. Three, I can't think of a three right now but it was freaking awesome."

"Uh, huh. I bet she wants a little girl."

"Nah, she said she wants another boy. Besides, Winchesters don't make girls. Sammy's the exception."

"Ya know what Dean?" Sam huffed, "You're gonna have a girl that's gonna drive you as insane as Lexi drove her dad. Better yet, she's gonna bring home someone like you!"

Dean narrowed his eyes waving his fork and using it for punctuation, "Don't jinx me you little bitch. And ya know what, Sammy; you're not calling no one's mother. If you do I'm gonna call the city and tell them that tall tour guide used an alias to get his tour license."

Sam put his fork down staring at Dean before launching into a rant on how it was wrong and immoral to take money from people by pretending to be psychic. He then went on to lecture Dean specifically on how as a father it was now his responsibility to be a good role model for his son and teach him that hustling people is wrong. AND that Dean needs to lead by example and a good example would be to work an honest job. Dean just sat there mocking Sam while Jackie rolled her eyes, both of them wishing he'd just shut his pie hole. The one that did shut him up was the precocious toddler that was sitting on Dean's lap. Jake pointed at his Uncle Sammy, his face all scrunched up, "Quite Sammy. No more talkin. SHHHHHHHH."

Sam got all snippy after that throwing his and Jackie's share of the bill on the table. He didn't appreciate being put in his place by a two year old; especially Dean's two year old. It was bad enough he had to grow up with Dean's teasing now it seemed he would be reliving it by his nephew's hand. Jackie poked his side telling him to stop pouting and to get the hell out of the booth. He rolled his eyes and huffed getting up to let her out. He threw his smug older brother a dirty look before asking, "What did she black mail you with?"

"She didn't black mail me with anything."

"Yeah, she did. Come on, Dean, share with the class and I'll go buy you a bottle of Jack."

"I was wasted and I signed a note….."

"What?"

"We were talking and Lex comes out with, 'Dean I want three kids. You need to promise me that and you can't back out of it.' And I'm like yeah okay baby whatever you say. She pulls out this paper and I signed it…..she whipped it out a couple of months ago. You owe me a bottle Sammy."

After another round of drinks they made their way back to their apartments on Royal Street. Despite it being a cool winter's night the streets were crowded with tourists making their way back from one of the many parades for Mardi Gras. Trying to avoid the topic of their new half-brother, Sam went on a rant about how the Catholic Church stole yet another pagan holiday to lure people to their beliefs. Dean knew better to ask for details but did anyway, he too not wanting to talk about Adam and found himself getting a history lesson on the origins of Mardi Gras.

Lexi was sitting on the couch with a glass of red wine when Dean came in with Sam hot on his heels. Dean looked around the room wondering where Adam was. He nudged Lexi impatiently as he sat next to her and demanded to know where Adam was. She sighed rolling her eyes; it was times like this when Lexi felt that she had two children not one.

"He's sleeping."

"Oh, can we see him?"

"Dean, let him rest. I think he's been going nonstop since his mom…..looking for John, looking for you."

Dean nodded turning his attention to Sam and filling him in on what he knew of Adam's story so far. He had to admit he felt bad for the kid. Hell, he couldn't be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Over the years, both Dean and Sam had to give the 'nightmares are real' speech to countless strangers and never really thought how it affected them. Adam made the after effects very real to both Sam and Dean. Now, they had to somehow break the reality of their lives to him in a way that would not freak him out. They had a younger half-brother they never knew existed and they had to tell this kid that every bad thing he ever thought was make believe was in fact very real. It was bad enough the kid lost his mom and Dean knowing exactly what that felt like didn't make it any easier. And on top of that they also had to break the news that his father was dead too. After a lot of bickering, Sam and Dean decided they would wait till the next morning to bring Adam up to speed thanks to Lexi repeatedly telling them to let him be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

***~Disclaimer: I don't own any supernatural characters. It's Eric's sandbox, I'm just playing in it. Please review.~***

**"Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year, stole many a man's soul and faith." **

Dean woke the next morning to an empty bed and crib. He rubbed his eyes looking around the bedroom for any signs of Lexi and Jake. He tried not to panic as he checked the back of the apartment but by the time he reached the living room he was in full blown panic mode. He was about to tear out the front door and start a full on search and rescue mission when he stopped dead in his tracks. There was Adam sitting on the couch staring at him with his eyebrows raised.

"Something wrong, man?"

"Yeah, have you seen my wife and kid?"

"Yup. She took Jake to some place to get coffee and donuts. She said she's bringing it back here."

"Café Du Monde?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

"She's supposed to leave a note."

"She did man, it's on the fridge."

"She knows to leave it in the bed room."

"Dude, what difference does it make?"

Dean huffed glaring at Adam. He just didn't get it. Of course it made a difference! They were Winchesters anything could've happened. They could be dead for all he knew. The deal was they would leave a note on the bed side table if one of them left while the other was sleeping. It was just like the rule about checking in and doors being left unlocked. Adam not getting these things was just further proof to Dean that he wasn't one of them.

When Lexi came back Dean's anger immediately disappeared. How could he be mad when Jake was happily covered in powdered sugar and showing him the beignet he held in his hands. Dean snatched the bag in Lexi's hand eager to devour the warm sugary goodness that was inside. She handed him a coffee before saying softly, 'We have to talk.' Every man knows that nothing good ever comes from that phrase. Dean did know one thing, either he was in trouble for something or that she dug something up about the demon that killed Adam's mom. Either way, it was not a good thing.

Lexi gestured to Dean to follow her as she walked out the French doors in the kitchen to the balcony that over looked St. Peter's Street. Dean took his coffee and his bag of beignets out to the balcony hoping that she was just going to tell him that it had all been a mistake and that Adam was not his brother. He knew that was only wishful thinking on his part. Being a Winchester all he had to do was stick his finger in the air and shit would stick to it.

"What's going on, Lex?"

"Well, I was at the Farmer's Market before taking Jake to Café Du Monde and the demon that Adam had a run in with was there."

"And you know for sure this was the same demon?"

"Oh, yeah, without a doubt, it was him."

**The French Market **

**An Hour Earlier**

Lexi was checking each kumquat she was placing in her plastic bag to make sure they weren't too ripe. Jake loved the little citrus fruit more than oranges; she figured it was because they were small and easy for him to throw at whoever was feeding him. At the moment Jake was attempting to pull himself up into the bins to get to the fruits that were on display. She pulled him down repeatedly but Jake kept going back determined to hoist himself inside the bin. His stubbornness was only one of the many traits he had inherited from his father. Some days Lexi wondered what she had ever done to deserve having a son just like Dean. At the moment, she was too distracted from keeping Jake by her side and selecting her produce to notice the well-dressed stranger that had sidled up next to her. The man grabbed an orange looking at Lexi out of the corner of his eye as he said nonchalantly, "They say they should be heavy for their size and slightly firm when you buy them."

"I don't buy oranges. They're a pain to peel. I stick with clementines and kumquats."

"You could always just cut them."

Lexi turned away from the man to see what Jake was doing since he was finally being quiet. Jake was sitting on the concrete floor happily eating a bag of Zapp's potato chips as if he was at home. She shrieked in shock as she realized that Jake had just grabbed a bag off the display and opened it. "You can't eat those chips yet, mommy didn't pay for them."

"YUMMY, MOMMY!"

"Yes, sweetie, I know they are but you can't take things off the shelf and eat them."

Lexi knelt down so she was eye level with Jake taking the bag out of his chubby hands. She explained to him gently why it was wrong to grab food off the shelves and eat them before paying for them. He just stared back at her with Dean's indignant expression on his little face. Jake's mouth dropped open, his green eyes suddenly huge as he pointed at the bag Lexi now held in her hands in excitement. She looked down at the bag of chips in her hands, her own eyes going wide as she watched the bag reseal itself. She knew Jake had not resealed the bag and turned back to the tall dark haired stranger that was smiling down at them. Lexis snatched Jake up off the floor her eyes never leaving the man's face. "Christo."

He leaned casually against the bin inspecting his cuticles not at all affected by the word. He looked at Lexi trying to appear unthreatening and stated simply, "That doesn't exactly work on me. Iron, that's the one thing none of us seem to be able to get past. I'm not here to hurt you or take your son. Why aren't you doing anything?"

"I'm not gonna stab a man in public, I'm not an idiot, too many witnesses."

"No, I mean why aren't YOU DOING anything. You're half."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not half anything. I'm a hunter but you already know that."

"I know what you are Lexi Winchester. Don't bullshit me, I'd know. I'm your brother. What I really want to know is why you're not using your powers right now."

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Ares and WE are related. Same father, you know the one who your delectable husband offed not too long ago. Thanks for that by the way. You know, I really should have sent him a fruit basket or something. Thank you just doesn't really convey how much I appreciate him getting dear old dad out of my way."

Lexi stared at him as she took in what he had just said. She knew Azazel had demonic children, there was Meg who Dean had sent back to hell and a nameless brother that had been killed with the colt but she thought that was it. She never expected that there would be more of them. The weird thing though, not that it wasn't already weird to be told you have a demon for a brother, was that they sort of looked alike. He was tall, about six foot two, with the same chestnut colored hair and full mouth. She told herself DNA had nothing to do with it, he simply found some poor guy that could pass as her brother and possessed him. It was a ploy, a way to suck her in and make her listen to him, nothing more.

Ares tilted his head studying Lexi intensely. He attempted to smile, the corners of his lips turning upward but he still had a sinister air about him. Even on his handsome face the smile was off putting and unkind. "You let your hunky husband bind you, didn't you? Such a shame you had great potential. But I bet he doesn't know your visions never went away does he? Don't worry, I won't out you, it'll be our little secret."

"You killed Adam's mother."

"No I didn't, that was someone else. I was just trying to help him get her back. It's not my fault he can't tell a good deal when it slaps him in the face."

Jake stared at Ares babbling and pointing as he did so. Both Ares and Lexi looked at him curiously before Ares was pushed backwards into the apple display by an unseen force. Ares ignored the stares of the passersby's as he stood up. He made a big production of brushing himself off, fussing with his shirt sleeves and the jacket of his designer suit. He turned back to Lexi and Jake with a prissy look on his face, "Well, that was uncalled for. Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?" Lexi rolled her eyes while putting Jake back into his stroller. She grabbed her groceries and headed to the cashier ignoring Ares as if he wasn't even there. Ares stood rooted to his spot, his mouth hanging open, "Where are you going?"

"Home before Jake drops the ceiling on you. We don't really need to be on the 5 o'clock news."

"I just wanted to see you and introduce myself."

"Oh spare me the sympathy for the devil bullshit. You are nothing to me but a cock roach that I have to squash."

"Spunky, I like that. You know, whether you like it or not you're one of us."

Lexi smiled sweetly up at him shaking her head. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to get into her head and make her doubt who she was. She knew damn well who she was. She was the daughter of a hunter, a wife to a hunter, a mother, a doctor and a hunter in her own right. She put on her poker face, she was not about to let him see the cracks in her facade. She knew better than to let a demon see how concerned she was about going up against them. She told him he was wrong, she was a Winchester and if it took her last breath to send him back to hell, well that's what she would do. While Lexi stood in line at Café Du Monde a few minutes later Jake looked at her, his little eyebrows knotted up, "He bad man, mommy."

"Yeah, baby, he's a bad man. Don't you worry about him, okay? Daddy and mommy will take care of him."

Dean leaned against the iron railing watching the street traffic letting what Lexi said sink in. So, there was a new big bad they had to deal with and he was another of Yellow Eyes' kids. Well, wasn't that just great. It only got better; this douche bag was the God of war. Oh, yeah this was going to be fun. Dean knew he wasn't really a God; he was just another demon with a HUGE ego. They'd take care of him, no problem; they did have the colt after all. Dean couldn't help but wonder what happened to the good old days of salt and burns, he missed those hunts.

"Don't worry, Lex, I'll take care of him."

"Dean, I don't think it's going to be that simple."

"He's a demon not a God. It's all ego."

"True but you shouldn't under estimate him either. There's a reason Azazel locked him up. Let's do some research first. You shouldn't go off halfcocked."

Dean huffed crossing his arms. He knew what she was saying made perfect sense and was reasonable. But when was he ever reasonable? He liked going in guns blazing, wasn't like their plans ever panned out anyway. So, what was the difference? He knew what Lexi would say the difference was, the difference was Jake. Dean ran his hand through his hair before looking at Lexi. He knew she was right, they'd do some research first to keep her happy and then he was going after this asshole guns locked and loaded.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Warnings/Spoilers: through Season 4**

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

***~I don't own anything, characters belong to eric. I'm just playing in his sandbox. Please review.~***

**Jackson Square**

Jackie glanced up at the clock on St. Louis Cathedral wondering where in the hell Dean was. It wasn't like him to be late and if he was going to be late he always gave her a heads up. She checked her phone again to see if he texted or called but nothing. Jackie told herself that there was nothing to worry about, that Dean and Sam most likely had corned Adam and was now giving the poor kid the third degree. She figured it wasn't worth the trouble to bother calling Dean to see if he was gonna come help her out or not. He'll show when he shows. She did love how both Dean and Sam were in total denial about this kid being their brother, like Lexi would let some little con stay in her apartment with her son if she didn't think this kid was one hundred percent legit. She was anything but careless when it came to Jake, hell she was more dangerous than Dean when it came to their son. Jackie shook her head, only Dean Winchester would be so deep in his denial that he would overlook this fact about his wife's protectiveness.

She leaned back in her chair watching the tourists with their digital cameras taking pictures of the cathedral and other sites in the square when she noticed a well-dressed man coming from Charters Street. His eyes swept across the row of psychics sitting at their tables when his eyes landed on her. He made his way towards her casually adjusting his sleeves as he did so. He took the seat across from her and smiled while laying a ten dollar bill on the table between them. "It is ten dollars for a palm reading, right?"

"Yes it is."

"Good, tell me, what do you see, Ms. Jacqueline."

She turned over his well-manicured hand tracing a line with a fingertip, "You're going to live a long life and you will also be successful with your current endeavor."

**St. Louis Cemetery Number One **

Sam loved his job as a tour guide, he loved being able to give the colorful history of the city of New Orleans to the tourists. Plus, the tips were usually good and he only worked two hours a day. As much as he bitched and ranted at Jackie and Dean he really did like living there. His problem wasn't with the city itself but with how they made their money. With its own traditions and quirks, New Orleans, wasn't like no other place he's ever lived before and he loved it. It was a unique city, feeling much more European than American, as it still showed its French and Spanish roots. The influences could still be seen throughout the city today in its food and architecture. Even the way they buried their dead was influenced by cemeteries in Paris. Sam loved throwing out that little tid bit when he took his tour groups into St. Louis Cemetery number one.

Being a tour guide was a great job for Sam since it allowed him to be a know it all and not piss people off. Jackie teased him mercilessly about how he prepared for his tour like he was preparing to give a lecture. Sam would just huff and pull a face and tell her that he was getting paid to impart his knowledge on the city and its burial customs. He took his job very seriously, these people were handing over their twenty dollars apiece to hear him talk and he was going to give them their money's worth. He'd never admit it to Jackie or even to Dean but his favorite part of being a tour guide was being able to answer questions. Being appreciated for his knowledge and not teased for it meant more than he could put into words. So once people started asking him questions he was in his element smiling and answering the questions easily.

"Excuse me, I have a question."

Sam looked towards the back of the crowd to the man with the dark hair, "Ok. Go ahead."

"You're Sam correct? Dean's little brother."

Sam tilted his head to the side studying the well-dressed man in front of him. He obviously wasn't a hunter; the suit he was wearing was designer and not a knock off. That meant he was either a cop or more likely a FBI agent which either way only meant trouble. "Um, do I know you?"

"Not per say but I know you." The man smiled moving to the front of the crowd, "I wanted to see the chosen one up close and I have to say I am not impressed."

"You're Ares."

"Well, aren't you a smart one. Good looking too. I do love a tall man but then again for being the savior of my kind I was expecting a little more bang for my buck."

So this was Ares. He definitely was cocky like Azazel and Meg but there was something about him that made him seem more dangerous than the other two. Sam eyed the crowd noticing that they were eerily still,even the sound of the street noise outside the cemetery walls had disappeared. Ares had frozen them or stopped time, not like the semantics really mattered, all that mattered was getting these people out of here unharmed.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica….."

Ares smirked crossing his arms while he leaned against the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau's tomb. His smugness only made Sam that more angry and that more determined to get him out of his current meat suit. Sam squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes speaking with more force than before.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.. Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei; contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis

sancto et terribili nomin quem inferi tremunt. Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos."

Ares snapped his fingers causing the crowd to stir once again. He walked up to Sam and smacked his shoulder in what appeared to the crowd to be a friendly gesture, "Just so you know Sam, I'm way above THAT pay grade. I can't be exorcised, this body belongs to me."

Later that night Dean grudgingly went down to the Crescent City Brew house with Adam and Sam after Sam pretty much whined and then turned to emotional blackmail by giving Dean his puppy dog look. Sam knew damn well Dean wouldn't say no to that pathetic face added along with the statement, 'But what would dad want us to do with Adam?' Sam knew he had won the battle the moment Dean grunted to Lexi he'd be home by eleven.

Both Lexi and Jackie were more than fine with the boys going out for some bonding time since they were driving the both of them crazy about the Adam situation. Lexi took the baby monitor down stairs with her joining Jackie on her little balcony that over looked Royal and St. Peters. Jackie carried out two wine glasses and a pitcher of fresh Sangria pouring them each a glass before placing it on the round table. Jackie took a sip of Sangria watching the figures of the three brothers disappear down St. Peters Street. She turned towards Lexi her eyebrow arched, "When did that start?"

"Hmm?"

"I said when did that start? He never had a curfew before, hell Dean never used to even tell you where he was going. He was such a douche nozzle."

"About around the time I had Jake, so maybe a year and a half ago. It's amazing how withholding sex can change a man."

"Wait, so you withheld sex so he'd tell you what time he'd be home? Wouldn't it have been easier to I dunno tell him he needs to tell you when he'd be home?"

"It wasn't just for that, it was what I like to call behavior modification. Ya know like when you train a dog."

Jackie stared at Lexi wide eyed for a moment and then completely lost it. She sat there cracking up, laughing so hard her sides hurt and was having trouble breathing. When she finally regained her composure she took a sip of wine and asked, "You mean positive reinforcement? So you're saying you TRAINED him?"

Lexi smiled around the rim of her wine glass savoring the sangria and the incredulous look on Jackie's face. She tilted her head with an innocent expression on her face, "I don't like to use the word 'trained' but yeah. You know how stubborn Dean is and he has that whole 'I'm the man and what I says goes' attitude so I let him THINK he's in charge and I use the one thing I know will make him fold like a cheap suit, sex."

"Yeah I don't do that. That is way too much work. I just tell Sam what to do and he does it."

"Dean is not the simple."

"It's not that Sammy's simple. Sammy, well he just KNOWS better."

"Dean is thickheaded and what does Dean understand? SEX. I held out once for thirty five days and let me tell you Dean was not a happy camper but I had a point to make. So he swears he's not whipped and he's in charge and I let him keep that delusion becomes it makes him happy."

"Fuck that. I still say it takes too much time, Dean needs to realize you have him by the balls."

They smirked at each other draining their glasses of Sangria and asking how they ended up with these guys. For Lexi it was simple, she fell hard for Dean years ago when they were both living in Ashland, WI. For Jackie, it was a little more complicated. She met Sam through Lexi and Dean and thought it was all just fun and games while he was visiting for spring break. She thought nothing of their two week fling until Sam went all Glenn Close on her calling her his girlfriend on the phone. If you asked Jackie she'd say that Sam eventually wore her down, that there was only so many times you could look at those puppy eyes before you give in. Both girls knew, no matter how much they bitched about their husbands, that they were who they were supposed to be with. They played off each other well and just understood each other. Then again, it made them both wonder how screwed up they must be to join themselves with men that hunted down people's worst nightmares. Lexi poured them another glass of Sangria, raising her glass and announcing, "Here's to being insane enough to marry a Winchester."

"I'll drink to that but let's add and being the only two known women to survive marrying a Winchester."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

*~I don't own anything. Please review.~*

About a week later Lexi walked into the living room holding an envelope while Dean was watching Triple D. Dean eyed Lexi and the envelope in her hand uneasily. He had a good idea what was in there and he really didn't want to deal with it at the moment. She sat next to him on the couch and held it in front of him to take. He took a long pull on his beer hoping she would just drop it on the coffee table and walk away but that just wasn't her style. Instead, she raised her eyebrow and hit him with the envelope, "Well, this is what you wanted right? Proof. So, why the hell aren't you taking this from me?"

"Cuz I don't feel like dealing with this bullshit anymore. This isn't my mess; this is my father's mess. Why the fuck do I have to clean up another one of his messes, uh?"

Lexi rubbed his arm before leaning against him saying softly, "Because you're the big brother. And if you don't deal with this who's going to? Come on open it up. What's the worst thing that can happen? You're either about to gain a brother or it's still gonna just be you and Sam."

Dean nodded taking the envelope out of her hand and tore it open. He scanned the results quickly before sighing and handing them back to Lexi. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you both share the same father. He is undoubtedly your half-brother."

Dean raised his eyebrow surveying the clutter of bags and chairs Lexi had placed near the door. There was no way they needed to bring all this crap to a parade even if it was two hours long. When he saw the ladder with the seat on top he knew his wife had lost her damn mind. Of course Lexi would buy one of these ladder seats for Jake but there was no way Dean was dragging this down three flights of stairs. "LEX! LEX, CMERE!"

"What?"

"What the hell is this?"

Lexi looked at him somewhat confused as he gestured to the Mardi Gras ladder seat; she thought it was pretty obvious what it was. "It's a Mardi Gras ladder seat."

"Ok and why would you buy one?"

"It's so Jake can see the parades."

"Honey, Jake doesn't need a ladder seat that's what his Uncle Sammy is for and I'm gonna be the one that has to drag it down to the car and through the street. He doesn't need it. And while we're at it, you don't need to bring all this crap. We're not going on vacation."

"We need it. Jake needs to be kept entertained."

Dean rubbed his face and took a deep breath in an attempt not to lose his patience. He didn't understand his wife's logic, why would a kid need to be entertained at a parade? Wasn't that what the parade was for? He walked over to Lexi placing his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, "I love you but you're insane." She began to protest but Dean cut her off before she got another word out, "We're taking the chairs and the coolers, that's it. Everything doesn't have to be a huge production ya know."

Adam was not a happy camper. When he was told they were going to a Mardi gras parade he was psyched but what they forgot to tell him was how far away they would have to park from the parade route. HE huffed dropping the chairs he was carrying on the grass and collapsing next to them. He threw Dean a dirty look for making him carry five chairs two and a half blocks. He was annoyed, how dare Dean make him do manual labor. He reached into the cooler for a beer only to have Sam snatch it out of his hand. "HEY, that's mine."

"I don't think so man, you're underage."

"Whatever, according to my id I'm not."

"Let me guess Dean made that for you?"

"Yes, yes he did and it's awesome."

Dean didn't see what the big deal was about Adam drinking. Both him and Sam had fake ids by the time they were sixteen, hell Dean was sneaking beers by the time he was twelve. Dean raised his hands innocently and smiled at Sam, "Hey man I was just keeping my counterfeit skills sharp."

Sam rolled his eyes and sat in the last chair next to Jackie. He couldn't believe how irresponsible Dean could be at times, especially now that he was a father himself. It wasn't surprising to Sam, after all this is Dean who thinks there is nothing wrong with hustling innocent people in front of his two year old son. Still, Sam hoped by now that his older brother would at least use common sense when it came to Adam. Even though Adam was eighteen he was not an adult, far from it in Sam's eyes. He was still very much a child who grew up in way better circumstances then they did. Maybe that was part of the problem, Dean remembering how he, himself was at eighteen and having a fake id compared to Adam's maturity level at the same age. Jackie nudged Sam jerking him out of his thoughts as she placed a cold beer in his hands, "Back off sasquatch. We're here to have fun not argue on how to raise your little bastard half-brother okay?"

"Okay."

It seemed everyone was having fun except for Adam. He sat in his lawn chair on the other side of Dean with a sour look on his face that remarkably resembled Sam's bitch face. Dean raised his eyebrow as he nudged Adam's side, "Dude, what's the matter?"

"Where are all the girls that are supposed to be flashing us for beads? Isn't that what they're supposed to be doing? All I see are a bunch of little kids and housewives, man."

"Sorry kid but you're not gonna get flashed here. First of all, this is the Garden District and these parades here are rated pg. Second of all, it's not Fat Tuesday and third, if you wanna see tits you gotta be on Bourbon Street with an arm full of beads."

Adam mumbled something about how much this sucked before getting up and heading over to the St. Charles Street Tavern causing Dean to laugh out loud. Sam and Jackie both looked in his direction to see what was so funny but Dean ignored their looks and turned to watch Lexi and Jake return from the vendors. Jake was running slightly ahead of his mother swinging some kind of sword glow stick as she kept pulling him back next to her. Jake dived into his father's lap showing him his new toy and babbling nonsense. Dean ruffled his hair putting him back on the ground and reminded him to stay where they could see him. Jake nodded running towards Sam and Jackie screaming boobies on top of his lungs drawing looks from the people around them. Jackie threw a dirty look at Lexi asking, "Why do you let him do that?"

Lexi looked up from the pulled pork she was devouring with a raised eyebrow, "I told him to stop but he thinks it's funny and since Dean laughs and encourages him to do it he won't stop."

"Well, make them stop it's your husband and demon spawn."

"Don't call him demon spawn. He's a good kid."

"Remember you said that Lex when he's climbing your bookshelf and acting like the Tasmanian devil."

Lexi shrugged and went back to her food, she honestly didn't think Jake was a bad kid. Of course he was a bit rambunctious and mischievous but most two years olds were. Then of course Dean was always encouraging him to do things to annoy his Aunt Jackie and Uncle Sammy but he didn't do them maliciously. He did them cause it makes his daddy laugh. There was the dropping of the ceiling on Sam but in Jake's defense Sam was all evil and black eyed at the time. In Lexi's mind that didn't make her son a bad kid, that just made him protective like his father.

Adam joined them once the parade started; he flopped into the chair next to Jackie reeking of booze. She didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow to him and turned to see where Sam was. Sam was to the left of them holding Jake up on his shoulders while the littlest Winchester screamed at the floats, 'Throw me something mister!' Just when she was thinking how cute and innocent Jake looked up on his Uncle Sammy's shoulders reality came crashing down on her in the form of Mardi gras beads. Jake had dropped a handful of beads onto her head smirking down at her and looking very much like his father as he shouted, "BEADS BOOBIES." Dean, Sam and Adam cracked up drawing dirty looks from both Jackie and Lexi before Dean corrected his son, "It's the other way around buddy. She needs to show you the goods first and THEN you give her the beads."

Ares moved through the crowd slowly and methodically. He had been watching the Winchesters for hours and did not want to be seen. He took in every detail of the family while they interacted with each other. The youngest, Adam, was of no concern to Ares. He could get rid of him as easily as crushing a bug under his designer shoe. Sam and Jackie could be problematic but he was more concerned with the eldest Winchester. Dean Winchester, now there was someone every demon hated. He was driven like his father and would not stop until one of you was dead. So far, Dean killed every demon that went after him or his family but Ares was smarter than those fools. For one, he knew Dean's weakness. She was sitting right next to him. Ares watched as Dean would lean in every now and then for a kiss or he would squeeze her hand or knee. It was obvious by the way he looked at her and if she was just any normal human Ares would've went straight for her. She wasn't though which meant Ares had to do this with some finesse. Dean's little binding spell wasn't strong enough to keep those powers locked down for good, especially if she felt Ares posed a threat to her and her family.

Ares knew he had to send a message to Dean Winchester that would make him think twice about going after him. He was going to send that message when the time was right. Right now wasn't the time. Instead, Ares was up for a little cat and mouse. He headed straight towards them as they packed up their belongings purposely knocking into Jackie and Sam smiling at them before disappearing into the crowd again. Sam stared after the dark haired man, his mouth open slightly. He couldn't believe it, there was no way that was him but it was. That was Ares, Ares had been watching them. Which brought up the questions why was he watching us and for how long? Jackie nudged Sam asking him what was wrong, he only said one word, 'Ares.'

Dean stopped dead in his tracks turning his head to look over his shoulder at Sam. He must have heard wrong, Sam did not just say that name. "What did you say Sammy?"

"Ares. Ares just bumped into me and Jackie."

"WHAT? WHERE DID HE GO?"

Sam pointed in the general direction where Ares had disappeared into the crowd. Dean dropped the chairs he was holding telling Lexi to go back to the Impala with Jake and to take Adam and Jackie with her. Dean gestured to Sam and plunged into the crowd. Sam huffed but followed after him anyway calling his brother's name. This was insanity, nothing good could come from Dean chasing after a demon through the crowded streets of the Garden District. Sam found Dean on Magazine Street looking into the shops' windows like a mad man.

"Dean?"

"I saw that sonofabitch turn down this street and he disappeared into thin air."

"C'mon man, let's head back. It's not like we can take him out in front of all these witnesses."


	6. Chapter 6

*~Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please review.~*

Both Lexi and Adam bugged Dean the next night about going out to dinner until he caved. They tried to get Sam and Jackie to come along but Sam was in one of his moods. Adam being new to this family unit found it funny that Sam had no problem excluding Dean from something but got all bitch hurt if Dean told him he wanted to hang with his wife and kid alone. Adam was beginning to see how fucked up their dynamic was. He also didn't understand what Sam's problem was with Jake. He was a funny kid and easy to keep entertained. Although, he did manage to get into everything but Adam chalked that up to normal toddler behavior. Adam was starting to think that Sam was just a huge jealous bitch.

The foursome made the short walk to the Market Café because Lexi insisted that she wanted alligator bites. Dean raised his eyebrow when she said this. Normally, she'd make a face and say that wasn't an animal that a person should eat. Dean didn't bother to argue since he knew she'd have some bullshit reason on why she suddenly changed her mind. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched her inhale her food. This wasn't like her at all; Lexi was one of those chicks that ate like a bird. She also constantly tried to get him to improve his table manners saying though she thought it was cute how bad they were she didn't want to subject other diners to them. She must've been pmsing or something.

All in all they had a good time sitting out on the patio and listening to the house jazz band. It wasn't until Lexi had left to take Jake down to Aunt Sally's to buy some Pralines when things went to hell. Dean and Adam were sitting at the table having some beers while they waited for Lexi and Jake to return. Dean was no longer welcomed in Aunt Sally's since the last time he devoured each flavor of Praline samples they had out on display. Dean's argument to the woman was that they were samples and free and that they couldn't put a limit on how much one person ate. Needless to say she didn't agree with Dean's argument and banned him from ever stepping foot in her candy store again. Adam smirked around the top of his beer bottle as he listened to Dean retell the story of his banning from Jake's favorite candy store. Adam's expression suddenly changed as he stared into the bar of the restaurant. Dean turned to see what or who had Adam's attention. Dean expected to see some hot girl at the bar but instead only saw a tall prissy dark haired man. He raised his eyebrow looking at Adam, "Thought you didn't play for that team man."

"What? No, no I don't. That's the demon that beat me to a pulp."

"Are you absolutely positive that's the guy?"

"Yeah Dean, I'm absolutely fucking positive. You don't tend to forget the person that handed your ass to you."

Dean nodded getting up and making a bee line for the princess in the designer suit. He wasn't thinking straight, if he was he wouldn't be marching up to some demon in a public place without backup. Dean was angry; actually he was more than angry, he was pissed the fuck off. First, this douche bag kicked the shit out of his little brother, yeah he was actually beginning to think of Adam as his little brother and second, he was trying to worm his way into Lexi's life by saying he's her brother. Yeah, like that fucking mattered, he was still a God damned demon, brother or no brother. It wasn't like Lexi had any real emotional ties to this son of a bitch and besides that demons lie. Dean had to admit though this guy was good. He knew exactly how to get to Lexi by playing the family card.

Dean sat on the bar stool next to the man Adam had identified as being Ares studying him out of the corner of his eye. Ares in return pretended not to notice him sipping his red wine pretentiously while looking through the menu. Dean's hand curled tightly around the colt wanting so bad to just blow this guy away. He knew he couldn't just pull out a gun and seemingly kill a guy in cold blood with all these witnesses around. Realizing he should've waited and followed the demon out to off him in one of the many dark alleys, Dean got up to go back to his table. Ares turned towards Dean smirking, "Now Dean you know it's not going to be that easy to get rid of me."

Dean turned slowly back towards him meeting his gaze, "You know I won't stop till one of us is dead."

"How incredibly HEROIC of you. No wonder my little sister is infatuated with you. You have that gallant air about you even if you are a brute."

"Is that the best you got? You're taunting's lame man, my bitch little brother can do better than that."

"Of course I can do better you imbecile." Ares sneered reaching out and touching Dean's face, "Why don't you try that on for size?"[Soft Break]Dean recoiled instinctively at Ares' touch wiping at his cheek, "What the fuck did you do?"

"You won't have to wait long to see."

Dean pulled the colt from his jacket aiming it at Ares, Ares didn't flinch at the sight of the gun, instead he winked at Dean before disappearing. Dean looked around the bar making sure Ares was really gone before slipping the colt back into his jacket and rejoining Adam. Adam watched Dean as he took a long pull from the bottle of beer that he was now holding in his hand. Even though he hasn't known Dean for very long, Adam felt that something was off with Dean at the moment. He didn't look like himself at all and the one thing that stood out for him was the fact that Dean had begun to sweat. He was also slightly pale and looked in danger of becoming sick at the table.

Dean awoke to a pair of concerned green eyes staring back at him. He was slightly confused as to why he was lying on the ground with his head in Lexi's lap.

"Dean, are you okay?"

"'m fine." Dean muttered sitting up before gripping her arm tightly, "'m not fine….everything's spinning."

He leaned back against her closing his eyes and taking deep breaths in hopes that the world would stop moving. He vaguely heard her giving directions to someone, something about water and call Sam. He let the voices drift away his head lolling back against Lexi's chest. He felt terrible, worse than he could ever remember feeling before this. Next thing he knew someone was forcing him to his feet. He turned to see Sam on one side of him and Adam on the other.

"Sammy….."

"What happened, Dean?"

"Dunno…I feel like shit run over."

He closed his eyes again catching snippets of the conversation that was going on around him. He didn't comprehend the actual words but could hear the anxiety in Lexi and Sam's voices. Everything around him seemed far away and fuzzy. He didn't complain as Sam helped Lexi undress him in the bathroom, the sound of water and something hard hitting the porcelain tub filling the room, he felt like he was watching it all happen from the outside looking in. He yelped when they lowered him into the ice bath jolting him back to reality.

"Fuck!"

"Dean stay put." Lexi stated firmly placing her hand on his shoulder, "You're burning up. I have to break your fever. It'll make you feel better, I promise."

"How long do I have to….have to stay in?"

"Shhh….relax baby, not long I swear. I just need to bring down your fever and this is the quickest way for me to do that."

Dean leaned his head back against the cool tile letting Lexi mop his fore head with a cold cloth. He half listened to her soothing words which made him feel like a little kid when his mom would take care of him. "I want tomato and rice soup."

"Ok, sweetie, I'll make you some in a little while."

A few moments later Dean felt himself being helped out of the tub. He heard Adam protesting about having to help because he didn't want to have to see his brother's junk. Dean laughed when he heard Lexi ask him if that was because Adam didn't think he'd measure up to his big brother. She wrapped a towel around Dean's waist telling Adam to either help her or get the hell out of her way. Adam huffed making a big production of leaving by stomping out of the bathroom and slamming the door.

After getting Dean into bed and giving him a shot of antibiotics Lexi went in the living room to join Sam, Jackie and Adam. Their faces showed exactly what she was feeling; concern and anger. Lexi turned to Adam running her hands through her long dark hair. "What happened?"

"I'm not really sure. Dean went up to Ares and it looked like he touched Dean's face. He came back to the table and boom sick."

Sam looked at each of them not being able to hide the fear in his voice, "I've never heard of a demon being able to make someone sick."

"Well he's not just some demon, now is he?" Jackie stated simply, "The Greeks thought he was the God of war, so my guess is he's got some extra tricks up his designer sleeves."

"Sam and Jackie see what you can find on Ares and anything about demons making people sick. Adam I need you to watch Jake for me and I'm gonna do whatever I can to break this fever."

Lexi kept vigil by Dean's bed side all night monitoring his fever and vitals. Sometime during the early morning hours she fell asleep in the club chair she had dragged close to Dean's side of the bed, the ancient book she was reading was open on the floor beneath her feet. Dean rubbed his eyes and looked around the bedroom confused as to why Lexi was sleeping in the chair and not in the bed with him. He sat up feeling slightly strange and felt a bit hung over but he couldn't remember anything after joining Adam back at the table after Ares touched him.

"Lexi?" Dean croaked shaking her leg gently, "Baby girl, why you sleeping in the chair?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you in bed?"

Lexi jumped up her eyes wide as she stared at Dean. She immediately went into doctor mode taking his temperature and vitals. Dean insisted he felt fine except for a slight headache and achy stomach. "Why are you playing doctor anyway? I'm just hung over."

"No you're not. Last night you were sick. You had a 106 degree fever by the time we got you back here."

"How is that even fucking possible?"

"One word, Ares."

"SON OF A BITCH! HE TOUCHED MY FACE AND SAID 'TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE.' I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"

"Dean, calm down and you are not going near him."

"The hell I ain't! That son of a bitch tried to kill me!"

"Stop it. You can't just go after him with no plan. We've been doing research, he's much stronger than any demon we've went up against."

"So, I'm just supposed to let him walk? I don't think so Lex."

"Of course not. It means we need to find a way to get rid of him. He has to have a weakness and we need to find it before we take him on."

Dean nodded hating the fact that she was right again. He knew that he'd be no good to anyone if he was six feet under. Dean let Lexi win this round; he even went as far as letting her make him some breakfast. He hated seeing the way her and Sam were watching him like a hawk. He reassured them that he felt fine now and whatever Ares had done to him had worn off. Dean knew it was a warning. If a love tap from Ares could make him that sick what could he really do if he meant to hurt someone? Dean really didn't want to know the answer but he knew it wasn't good.

Later that night

Adam convinced Dean and Jackie to go down to Bourbon Street with him. Dean was sure Lexi was going to throw an epic bitch fit and told the other two he'd meet up with them in a few minutes if he could. After what happened the night before he wanted to make sure she was really okay with him going out. "You sure you're okay with me going out? You're not gonna hold this against me five years from now?"

"Yeah, Dean, its fine. I think Adam feels guilty about last night. So go have a few drinks with him."

"Okay, I'll be back in an hour."

Dean walked into the Funky Pirate and immediately spotted Jackie and Adam at the bar. Jackie was nursing a beer while Adam had a pyramid of shot glasses stacked in front of him. Dean gestured to Jackie to take the stool next to her so he could sit between her and Adam. Dean raised his eyebrows at Adam asking if he drank all those shots in the twenty minutes it took him to get down there. Adam looked at him bleary eyed and smiled, that was Dean's answer right there. "I've been doing hand grenades. Jackie bet me I couldn't drink ten of em."

"And you took that bet?"

"Yes sir! I'm no girl!"

"Dumb ass."

Adam began to whine about Jackie being no fun and Dean, as his big brother, had to do shots with him. It took a moment or two but Dean agreed flagging down the bartender and ordered double shots of scotch neat. Adam stared down at the amber liquid that filled the shot glass in front of him before turning to Dean, "What's this crap?"

"It's scotch."

"I don't like scotch."

"Shut up and drink it wuss."

"I said, I don't like scotch!"

"Did you or did you not say you wanted to do shots with me? Well guess what Adam this is what I drink. So stop being a bitch even Lexi can shoot whiskey."

Jackie leaned over Dean taunting Adam making him huff and pull the same bitch face Sam makes which only made her and Dean crack up. "What's so funny?" Adam demanded swaying on his bar stool.

"Nothing. Except for the fact that you look exactly like my husband right now but a lot shorter."

"HMPH. I don't like you."

"Okay." Jackie shrugged not caring either way if Adam liked her or not. She turned her attention to Dean asking what his plan was regarding Ares. She told him not to be a damn hot head for once and to listen to the three of them. He took a swig of beer before mocking her; he jumped in surprise after Jackie smacked him upside the head. "Dumb ass."

"I'm not a dumb ass. You think a chick as smart as Lexi would be with me if I was stupid?"

"Lexi over looks your dumbassness because she likes your dick and you make pretty babies."

Dean's mouth dropped open at a loss for a comeback. Instead, he turned to his left to talk to Adam who was now suddenly missing in action. "Where the hell did he go?"

"Oh, who gives a shit. He'll come stumbling back, Dean trust me. No one else would want that whiny brat."

Dean turned around in his stool, his eyes searching the dimly lit bar when he started poking Jackie and laughing. He gestured towards the stage causing Jackie to laugh so hard she almost dropped her beer. On stage was Adam totally wasted and belting out Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer.' Jackie pulled out her cell phone smiling from ear to ear, "We can't let him forget this."

"You're evil, ya know that Jackie."

"No one told him to get drunk and do karaoke. I'm just preserving his jack ass antics for prosperity."

"Uh huh and you wonder why I thought you were a demon when we met."

"Whatever. You're an idiot that's why you assumed I was possessed."

Dean huffed, he wasn't being an idiot the first time he met her. He found her to be suspicious by the way she offered up her opinions to Lexi about him. To Dean, Jackie was worming her way into Lexi's life just like Ares was doing now. Any hunter would have assumed she was a demon. Of course, it all back fired when he attacked Jackie one night when she was leaving work and was forced to tell her what he did for a living. Dean finished off his beer before checking the time on his watch and pulling a face, "I gotta go."

"Lexi give you a bed time?"

"Nah, I told her I'd be back in an hour."

"Well, you're not leaving me here alone with him. Go get him off the stage and let's go."

Adam pouted and protested about leaving like any toddler would. Dean being experienced with handling difficult and spoiled children bribed Adam with the promise of more alcohol. He got off the stage willingly not even realizing that Dean was walking him out the door until they were out on Bourbon Street. "You lied!"

"Yeah, I did. You've had plenty."

Jackie lit up a cigarette passing the pack to Dean asking if he wanted one. Jackie arched her eyebrow as she listened to Dean explain that earlier that day Lexi was bitching at him that the smell of his camels were making her nauseous. She even went as far as telling him to brush his teeth before she would let him kiss her. Jackie shook her head and smirked, she wasn't surprised that Dean hadn't put two and two together yet. It was obvious to her what was really going on with Lexi but Dean wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed that was for sure, which of course was one of the things that made Dean likeable in her opinion.

Jackie helped him get Adam through the front door before making up some excuse about Sam being in one of his moods again and leaving Dean to man handle Adam on his own. Dean dumped Adam unceremoniously onto the mattress in what was once Jake's room. By the time he pulled his boots off Adam was out cold. Dean moved the trash can next to the bed and covered Adam with a blanket before shutting the light and leaving the room. He then raided the fridge and watched a little television before heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He flipped on the overhead light his eyes immediately drawn to the counter. There as plain as day sat a pregnancy test on the edge of the vanity. Dean swallowed, his hands beginning to sweat as he suddenly felt nervous. They had been trying now for about four months with no luck. He wasn't nervous because he didn't want another kid, he was nervous because he knew how bad Lexi wanted this to happen. And if Dean was completely honest with himself, he wanted it too. Plus, he knew if it was negative again she was going to be heart broken. He looked down at the stick shaking his head before making his way into the bedroom to see if Lexi was still awake. Dean found her sitting on their bed with Jake in her lap as she read to him. He stood in the door way a moment longer than he needed to taking in the scene before him. "You're not very subtle leaving the test on the counter so I could find it. Told you the charts were crap."

"What are you talking about?"

"The pregnancy test."

"OH! I forgot about it. Jake woke up and he's been giving me a hard time about going back to sleep."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You're knocked up."

"SERIOUSLY? Where is it? Are you sure? Was there one or two lines?"

"One, why would I lie about that? Two, it's on the counter in the bathroom. And three, it was pink."

Lexi handed Jake to Dean rushing out of the bedroom. He couldn't help but smirk when he heard her shrieking 'I'm pregnant.' over and over again. Adam obviously heard her too stumbling out of his bed and yelling at her to shut up because some people were trying to sleep. She ignored him running back into her bedroom and kissing Dean. She began shrieking again but this time she was jumping up and down and grinning from ear to ear causing Sam to start banging on the floor. Dean smirked and started stomping on the floor to annoy both his brothers even more.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Story Notes:

Warnings/Spoilers: through Season 4

Author's Chapter Notes:

*~I don't own anything, characters belong to eric. I'm just playing in his sandbox.~*

**Jackson Square**

Sam sat in the chair next to Jackie glaring at the tourists as they passed by. He couldn't believe how gullible these people were. What were the chances of finding a real psychic that set up shop in front of St. Louis Cathedral? They had to know these people were a bunch of charlatans. Yet, they still handed over their ten dollars enthusiastically. It made Sam sick to his stomach. It wasn't like Sam had never hustled some guy at pool or cards but he didn't take enjoyment from it the way Dean and Jackie did. What made him angry was the fact that both Dean and Jackie could get honest jobs. There was no reason why Dean couldn't work somewhere as a mechanic and Jackie could tattoo or even sell her art work at the French Market. Instead, they decided it was more profitable to cheat the never ending stream of tourists that tramped through this city on a daily basis.

Sam glanced at the woman that had happily taken the seat across from Jackie snorting in disgust. He ignored the dirty look Jackie had surely thrown in his direction deciding that it was time to chase these idiots away. "You know she's nothing but a fraud. She doesn't have a psychic bone in her body. Oh, and she's not Romanian, she's Mexican from East L.A."

"Pay no attention to this non believer. He is a BITTER man that has been marked by great tragedy and is surrounded by all sorts of DEMONIC energy."

"Whatever Ms. Jacqueline pack up and let's go or I'll call your mother and tell her you're doing psychic readings in front of a Catholic church."

Jackie attempted to keep her cool in front of the client but vowed to do bodily harm to Sam once they were home. She made a big show of fixing her veils before standing and addressing the client, "I deeply apologize for this terrible interruption. You will seek what you find when you seek it with all your heart. I must go now."

"Get that from a fortune cookie, Jack?"

"Oh shut up, Sam! You're such a pain in my ass sometimes, ya know that."

"Whatever, I'm hungry and it's $5.99 steak night at Déjà vu. I wanna get there before it gets crowded."

"HMMM, steak, now that sounds awesome." Jackie took off her veils and gold earrings placing them carefully in her bag. She began to pack up the rest of her things or props as Sam referred to them. She had tarot cards, candles, crystals and a star patterned table cloth that she picked up in some "voodoo" store for tourists. Once she had everything packed and the table and chairs folded up she turned to Sam whose lips were in a rigid thin straight line. "Your brother is at the hospital by the way. Lexi called and said she had something huge to tell him."

"Uh, maybe she's knocked up. Dean said something about her wanting to buy a house and try for another one."

"Seriously? She's nuts."

"Dean didn't tell you about his little visit to the hospital a few weeks ago? And here I thought he told you EVERYTHING. She called him and said come over here I'm ovulating."

"No, all he said was that he went over there for a quickie. He probably didn't say anything cuz he knows I'd be busting his balls over it."

They made the short walk up to their apartment that was on the corner of Royal and St. Peter streets in silence so Jackie could drop off her belongings. The apartment they shared was on the second floor over a gift shop, complete with wrought iron balconies, French doors and shutters. It was fairly large considering how old the building was. Jackie loved it. To her, it screamed New Orleans. She could throw open the French doors and battered aqua blue shutters and let the sound of the Quarter stream inside. Sam hated when she opened all the windows, he said it was because he was hot and wanted the air conditioning on, but Jackie knew better. Sam always complained about the street noise and their noisy neighbors that lived above them, which, funny enough happened to be Dean and Lexi. Tonight, the kid from New York had claimed the corner across the way, the sound of him singing the blues was floating through the open window.

After they both changed their clothes they made the five blocks walk to the corner of Dauphine and Conti Street where Déjà vu was located for dinner. It had become sort of a weekly routine. Every Tuesday night was spent at Déjà vu for their $5.99 steak special. Jackie was actually somewhat surprised that Sam wanted to go every week but then again where else can you get a New York Strip so cheap? On the way there, they talked about how Lexi could have convinced Dean into having another kid; Sam's bet was that Dean was just into it whereas Jackie thought she had black mailed him somehow.

"I'm gonna give him so much shit when I see him."

"Come on, Jackie, it's not that surprising. He's a big softie, besides Dean loves being a dad."

"Yeah, I know that but you know how he is." Jackie snorted shaking her head, "Mr. Badass hunter over here."

Sam didn't say anything for a moment before changing the subject to how she earns her money. Jackie rolled her eyes as she listened to Sam go on and on about what she and Dean are doing is wrong for what felt like the hundredth time. Of course she countered with the argument that they made good money and it freed them up for hunting unlike if she was tattooing again. Sam didn't seem to understand that she wouldn't be available for a hunt if she had clients booked. All Sam could argue is that hustling is wrong but Jackie didn't see it as wrong and neither did Dean. It wasn't like they were holding a gun to these people; they willingly sat down at her table and forked over the $10.00 for her to "read" them. Sam, however, wanted her to sell her artwork which he deemed to be a more respectable way of making a living. The only thing that shut him up was when she pointed out that he didn't even use his real name to gain employment. Now how respectable is that?

Sam held the green door of the dive open for Jackie, the rush of the air conditioning hitting them hard. The place was small and dark with only four booths and a handful of tables scattered about the room. There was a full sized bar running the length of the place which made anyone feel like a local when sitting there. The décor was sparse, mostly stringed lights and Jazz Fest posters from years past. Jackie smirked when she saw Dean sitting in the last booth. He had Jake on his lap feeding him nachos one at a time. Jake was covered in sour cream and refried beans, his chubby little hands grabbing the nachos from Dean greedily. Jackie and Sam slid into the booth across from them, Jackie stealing a nacho and Sam scrunching his face up in disgust.

"Well, no more Gypsy Rose, Ace. Sammy's, threatening to call my mother. 'Sell paintings, Jackie.' That's what he says. Like that's gonna pull in money. He has "moral" issues with it."

"Wha? That puts food on our tables." Dean glared at Sam taking a swig of his Abita Amber beer. He mumbled the word bitch looking straight at Sam who pretended not to hear Dean. Instead, Sam acted like he was focused on the menu hiding behind it as he flipped through it. Dean shook his head snatching the menu from Sam and hitting him with it, "Stop being a little bitch. We all know you're here for the steak."

"Maybe I want to look at their drinks, Dean."

"Yeah, okay. You want me to order you something with one of those little umbrellas? Maybe a hurricane? You think you can handle that, Samantha?"

"Shut up, jerk."

Jackie rolled her eyes wondering how long their arguing would go on before they started wrestling on the floor like children. She let them bicker a few more minutes until she couldn't take their childish nonsense any longer. She threw Sam a dirty look before turning to Dean and interrupted his impression of Sam, "So what was Lexi's news?"

"We supposedly have a brother…I mean half-brother."

Both Sam and Jackie became quiet staring at Dean waiting for him to smile goofily and tell them he was pulling their chains. When that didn't happen they both exchanged glances wondering how Dean of all people could be so nonchalant about something this huge. Of course they wanted details but they both knew they had to tread carefully unless they wanted Dean to clam up and just make grunting noises. Jackie leaned forward her elbows resting on the table speaking softly, "How'd he find you and what now? Does he know who you guys are and what you do? Is he staying with you?"

"Dad's voicemail message, call my son Dean…."

Jackie nodding leaning back against the booth and kicking his foot while trying really hard not to smirk, "So a new brother AND you're trying to get knocked up?"

"Uh? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, yeah you do. Sammy spilled the beans. She calls you up and you go running, is that how it works?"

Dean raised his eyebrow and shook his head. He couldn't believe what a bitch his brother was. Did he have to tell his wife everything? Hell he didn't tell Lexi everything, a man's gotta keep some shit to himself. He chewed his steak slowly before finally answering Jackie, "One, it was sex. Two, it was work sex….on her desk. Three, I can't think of a three right now but it was freaking awesome."

"Uh, huh. I bet she wants a little girl."

"Nah, she said she wants another boy. Besides, Winchesters don't make girls. Sammy's the exception."

"Ya know what Dean?" Sam huffed, "You're gonna have a girl that's gonna drive you as insane as Lexi drove her dad. Better yet, she's gonna bring home someone like you!"

Dean narrowed his eyes waving his fork and using it for punctuation, "Don't jinx me you little bitch. And ya know what, Sammy; you're not calling no one's mother. If you do I'm gonna call the city and tell them that tall tour guide used an alias to get his tour license."

Sam put his fork down staring at Dean before launching into a rant on how it was wrong and immoral to take money from people by pretending to be psychic. He then went on to lecture Dean specifically on how as a father it was now his responsibility to be a good role model for his son and teach him that hustling people is wrong. AND that Dean needs to lead by example and a good example would be to work an honest job. Dean just sat there mocking Sam while Jackie rolled her eyes, both of them wishing he'd just shut his pie hole. The one that did shut him up was the precocious toddler that was sitting on Dean's lap. Jake pointed at his Uncle Sammy, his face all scrunched up, "Quite Sammy. No more talkin. SHHHHHHHH."

Sam got all snippy after that throwing his and Jackie's share of the bill on the table. He didn't appreciate being put in his place by a two year old; especially Dean's two year old. It was bad enough he had to grow up with Dean's teasing now it seemed he would be reliving it by his nephew's hand. Jackie poked his side telling him to stop pouting and to get the hell out of the booth. He rolled his eyes and huffed getting up to let her out. He threw his smug older brother a dirty look before asking, "What did she black mail you with?"

"She didn't black mail me with anything."

"Yeah, she did. Come on, Dean, share with the class and I'll go buy you a bottle of Jack."

"I was wasted and I signed a note….."

"What?"

"We were talking and Lex comes out with, 'Dean I want three kids. You need to promise me that and you can't back out of it.' And I'm like yeah okay baby whatever you say. She pulls out this paper and I signed it…..she whipped it out a couple of months ago. You owe me a bottle Sammy."

After another round of drinks they made their way back to their apartments on Royal Street. Despite it being a cool winter's night the streets were crowded with tourists making their way back from one of the many parades for Mardi Gras. Trying to avoid the topic of their new half-brother, Sam went on a rant about how the Catholic Church stole yet another pagan holiday to lure people to their beliefs. Dean knew better to ask for details but did anyway, he too not wanting to talk about Adam and found himself getting a history lesson on the origins of Mardi Gras.

Lexi was sitting on the couch with a glass of red wine when Dean came in with Sam hot on his heels. Dean looked around the room wondering where Adam was. He nudged Lexi impatiently as he sat next to her and demanded to know where Adam was. She sighed rolling her eyes; it was times like this when Lexi felt that she had two children not one.

"He's sleeping."

"Oh, can we see him?"

"Dean, let him rest. I think he's been going nonstop since his mom…..looking for John, looking for you."

Dean nodded turning his attention to Sam and filling him in on what he knew of Adam's story so far. He had to admit he felt bad for the kid. Hell, he couldn't be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Over the years, both Dean and Sam had to give the 'nightmares are real' speech to countless strangers and never really thought how it affected them. Adam made the after effects very real to both Sam and Dean. Now, they had to somehow break the reality of their lives to him in a way that would not freak him out. They had a younger half-brother they never knew existed and they had to tell this kid that every bad thing he ever thought was make believe was in fact very real. It was bad enough the kid lost his mom and Dean knowing exactly what that felt like didn't make it any easier. And on top of that they also had to break the news that his father was dead too. After a lot of bickering, Sam and Dean decided they would wait till the next morning to bring Adam up to speed thanks to Lexi repeatedly telling them to let him be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"_Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year, stole many a man's soul and faith."_

Dean woke the next morning to an empty bed and crib. He rubbed his eyes looking around the bedroom for any signs of Lexi and Jake. He tried not to panic as he checked the back of the apartment but by the time he reached the living room he was in full blown panic mode. He was about to tear out the front door and start a full on search and rescue mission when he stopped dead in his tracks. There was Adam sitting on the couch staring at him with his eyebrows raised.

"Something wrong, man?"

"Yeah, have you seen my wife and kid?"

"Yup. She took Jake to some place to get coffee and donuts. She said she's bringing it back here."

"Café Du Monde?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

"She's supposed to leave a note."

"She did man, it's on the fridge."

"She knows to leave it in the bed room."

"Dude, what difference does it make?"

Dean huffed glaring at Adam. He just didn't get it. Of course it made a difference! They were Winchesters anything could've happened. They could be dead for all he knew. The deal was they would leave a note on the bed side table if one of them left while the other was sleeping. It was just like the rule about checking in and doors being left unlocked. Adam not getting these things was just further proof to Dean that he wasn't one of them.

When Lexi came back Dean's anger immediately disappeared. How could he be mad when Jake was happily covered in powdered sugar and showing him the beignet he held in his hands. Dean snatched the bag in Lexi's hand eager to devour the warm sugary goodness that was inside. She handed him a coffee before saying softly, 'We have to talk.' Every man knows that nothing good ever comes from that phrase. Dean did know one thing, either he was in trouble for something or that she dug something up about the demon that killed Adam's mom. Either way, it was not a good thing.

Lexi gestured to Dean to follow her as she walked out the French doors in the kitchen to the balcony that over looked St. Peter's Street. Dean took his coffee and his bag of beignets out to the balcony hoping that she was just going to tell him that it had all been a mistake and that Adam was not his brother. He knew that was only wishful thinking on his part. Being a Winchester all he had to do was stick his finger in the air and shit would stick to it.

"What's going on, Lex?"

"Well, I was at the Farmer's Market before taking Jake to Café Du Monde and the demon that Adam had a run in with was there."

"And you know for sure this was the same demon?"

"Oh, yeah, without a doubt, it was him."

**The French Market**

**An Hour Earlier**

Lexi was checking each kumquat she was placing in her plastic bag to make sure they weren't too ripe. Jake loved the little citrus fruit more than oranges; she figured it was because they were small and easy for him to throw at whoever was feeding him. At the moment Jake was attempting to pull himself up into the bins to get to the fruits that were on display. She pulled him down repeatedly but Jake kept going back determined to hoist himself inside the bin. His stubbornness was only one of the many traits he had inherited from his father. Some days Lexi wondered what she had ever done to deserve having a son just like Dean. At the moment, she was too distracted from keeping Jake by her side and selecting her produce to notice the well-dressed stranger that had sidled up next to her. The man grabbed an orange looking at Lexi out of the corner of his eye as he said nonchalantly, "They say they should be heavy for their size and slightly firm when you buy them."

"I don't buy oranges. They're a pain to peel. I stick with clementines and kumquats."

"You could always just cut them."

Lexi turned away from the man to see what Jake was doing since he was finally being quiet. Jake was sitting on the concrete floor happily eating a bag of Zapp's potato chips as if he was at home. She shrieked in shock as she realized that Jake had just grabbed a bag off the display and opened it. "You can't eat those chips yet, mommy didn't pay for them."

"YUMMY, MOMMY!"

"Yes, sweetie, I know they are but you can't take things off the shelf and eat them."

Lexi knelt down so she was eye level with Jake taking the bag out of his chubby hands. She explained to him gently why it was wrong to grab food off the shelves and eat them before paying for them. He just stared back at her with Dean's indignant expression on his little face. Jake's mouth dropped open, his green eyes suddenly huge as he pointed at the bag Lexi now held in her hands in excitement. She looked down at the bag of chips in her hands, her own eyes going wide as she watched the bag reseal itself. She knew Jake had not resealed the bag and turned back to the tall dark haired stranger that was smiling down at them. Lexis snatched Jake up off the floor her eyes never leaving the man's face. "Christo."

He leaned casually against the bin inspecting his cuticles not at all affected by the word. He looked at Lexi trying to appear unthreatening and stated simply, "That doesn't exactly work on me. Iron, that's the one thing none of us seem to be able to get past. I'm not here to hurt you or take your son. Why aren't you doing anything?"

"I'm not gonna stab a man in public, I'm not an idiot, too many witnesses."

"No, I mean why aren't YOU DOING anything. You're half."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not half anything. I'm a hunter but you already know that."

"I know what you are Lexi Winchester. Don't bullshit me, I'd know. I'm your brother. What I really want to know is why you're not using your powers right now."

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Ares and WE are related. Same father, you know the one who your delectable husband offed not too long ago. Thanks for that by the way. You know, I really should have sent him a fruit basket or something. Thank you just doesn't really convey how much I appreciate him getting dear old dad out of my way."

Lexi stared at him as she took in what he had just said. She knew Azazel had demonic children, there was Meg who Dean had sent back to hell and a nameless brother that had been killed with the colt but she thought that was it. She never expected that there would be more of them. The weird thing though, not that it wasn't already weird to be told you have a demon for a brother, was that they sort of looked alike. He was tall, about six foot two, with the same chestnut colored hair and full mouth. She told herself DNA had nothing to do with it, he simply found some poor guy that could pass as her brother and possessed him. It was a ploy, a way to suck her in and make her listen to him, nothing more.

Ares tilted his head studying Lexi intensely. He attempted to smile, the corners of his lips turning upward but he still had a sinister air about him. Even on his handsome face the smile was off putting and unkind. "You let your hunky husband bind you, didn't you? Such a shame you had great potential. But I bet he doesn't know your visions never went away does he? Don't worry, I won't out you, it'll be our little secret."

"You killed Adam's mother."

"No I didn't, that was someone else. I was just trying to help him get her back. It's not my fault he can't tell a good deal when it slaps him in the face."

Jake stared at Ares babbling and pointing as he did so. Both Ares and Lexi looked at him curiously before Ares was pushed backwards into the apple display by an unseen force. Ares ignored the stares of the passersby's as he stood up. He made a big production of brushing himself off, fussing with his shirt sleeves and the jacket of his designer suit. He turned back to Lexi and Jake with a prissy look on his face, "Well, that was uncalled for. Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?" Lexi rolled her eyes while putting Jake back into his stroller. She grabbed her groceries and headed to the cashier ignoring Ares as if he wasn't even there. Ares stood rooted to his spot, his mouth hanging open, "Where are you going?"

"Home before Jake drops the ceiling on you. We don't really need to be on the 5 o'clock news."

"I just wanted to see you and introduce myself."

"Oh spare me the sympathy for the devil bullshit. You are nothing to me but a cock roach that I have to squash."

"Spunky, I like that. You know, whether you like it or not you're one of us."

Lexi smiled sweetly up at him shaking her head. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to get into her head and make her doubt who she was. She knew damn well who she was. She was the daughter of a hunter, a wife to a hunter, a mother, a doctor and a hunter in her own right. She put on her poker face, she was not about to let him see the cracks in her facade. She knew better than to let a demon see how concerned she was about going up against them. She told him he was wrong, she was a Winchester and if it took her last breath to send him back to hell, well that's what she would do. While Lexi stood in line at Café Du Monde a few minutes later Jake looked at her, his little eyebrows knotted up, "He bad man, mommy."

"Yeah, baby, he's a bad man. Don't you worry about him, okay? Daddy and mommy will take care of him."

Dean leaned against the iron railing watching the street traffic letting what Lexi said sink in. So, there was a new big bad they had to deal with and he was another of Yellow Eyes' kids. Well, wasn't that just great. It only got better; this douche bag was the God of war. Oh, yeah this was going to be fun. Dean knew he wasn't really a God; he was just another demon with a HUGE ego. They'd take care of him, no problem; they did have the colt after all. Dean couldn't help but wonder what happened to the good old days of salt and burns, he missed those hunts.

"Don't worry, Lex, I'll take care of him."

"Dean, I don't think it's going to be that simple."

"He's a demon not a God. It's all ego."

"True but you shouldn't under estimate him either. There's a reason Azazel locked him up. Let's do some research first. You shouldn't go off halfcocked."

Dean huffed crossing his arms. He knew what she was saying made perfect sense and was reasonable. But when was he ever reasonable? He liked going in guns blazing, wasn't like their plans ever panned out anyway. So, what was the difference? He knew what Lexi would say the difference was, the difference was Jake. Dean ran his hand through his hair before looking at Lexi. He knew she was right, they'd do some research first to keep her happy and then he was going after this asshole guns locked and loaded.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**Story Notes:**

**Warnings/Spoilers: through Season 4**

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

***~I don't own anything, characters belong to eric. I'm just playing in his sandbox.~***

**Jackson Square **

Jackie glanced up at the clock on St. Louis Cathedral wondering where in the hell Dean was. It wasn't like him to be late and if he was going to be late he always gave her a heads up. She checked her phone again to see if he texted or called but nothing. Jackie told herself that there was nothing to worry about, that Dean and Sam most likely had corned Adam and was now giving the poor kid the third degree. She figured it wasn't worth the trouble to bother calling Dean to see if he was gonna come help her out or not. He'll show when he shows. She did love how both Dean and Sam were in total denial about this kid being their brother, like Lexi would let some little con stay in her apartment with her son if she didn't think this kid was one hundred percent legit. She was anything but careless when it came to Jake, hell she was more dangerous than Dean when it came to their son. Jackie shook her head, only Dean Winchester would be so deep in his denial that he would overlook this fact about his wife's protectiveness.

She leaned back in her chair watching the tourists with their digital cameras taking pictures of the cathedral and other sites in the square when she noticed a well-dressed man coming from Charters Street. His eyes swept across the row of psychics sitting at their tables when his eyes landed on her. He made his way towards her casually adjusting his sleeves as he did so. He took the seat across from her and smiled while laying a ten dollar bill on the table between them. "It is ten dollars for a palm reading, right?"

"Yes it is."

"Good, tell me, what do you see, Ms. Jacqueline."

She turned over his well-manicured hand tracing a line with a fingertip, "You're going to live a long life and you will also be successful with your current endeavor."

St. Louis Cemetery Number One

Sam loved his job as a tour guide, he loved being able to give the colorful history of the city of New Orleans to the tourists. Plus, the tips were usually good and he only worked two hours a day. As much as he bitched and ranted at Jackie and Dean he really did like living there. His problem wasn't with the city itself but with how they made their money. With its own traditions and quirks, New Orleans, wasn't like no other place he's ever lived before and he loved it. It was a unique city, feeling much more European than American, as it still showed its French and Spanish roots. The influences could still be seen throughout the city today in its food and architecture. Even the way they buried their dead was influenced by cemeteries in Paris. Sam loved throwing out that little tid bit when he took his tour groups into St. Louis Cemetery number one.

Being a tour guide was a great job for Sam since it allowed him to be a know it all and not piss people off. Jackie teased him mercilessly about how he prepared for his tour like he was preparing to give a lecture. Sam would just huff and pull a face and tell her that he was getting paid to impart his knowledge on the city and its burial customs. He took his job very seriously, these people were handing over their twenty dollars apiece to hear him talk and he was going to give them their money's worth. He'd never admit it to Jackie or even to Dean but his favorite part of being a tour guide was being able to answer questions. Being appreciated for his knowledge and not teased for it meant more than he could put into words. So once people started asking him questions he was in his element smiling and answering the questions easily.

"Excuse me, I have a question."

Sam looked towards the back of the crowd to the man with the dark hair, "Ok. Go ahead."

"You're Sam correct? Dean's little brother."

Sam tilted his head to the side studying the well-dressed man in front of him. He obviously wasn't a hunter; the suit he was wearing was designer and not a knock off. That meant he was either a cop or more likely a FBI agent which either way only meant trouble. "Um, do I know you?"

"Not per say but I know you." The man smiled moving to the front of the crowd, "I wanted to see the chosen one up close and I have to say I am not impressed."

"You're Ares."

"Well, aren't you a smart one. Good looking too. I do love a tall man but then again for being the savior of my kind I was expecting a little more bang for my buck."

So this was Ares. He definitely was cocky like Azazel and Meg but there was something about him that made him seem more dangerous than the other two. Sam eyed the crowd noticing that they were eerily still,even the sound of the street noise outside the cemetery walls had disappeared. Ares had frozen them or stopped time, not like the semantics really mattered, all that mattered was getting these people out of here unharmed.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica….."

Ares smirked crossing his arms while he leaned against the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau's tomb. His smugness only made Sam that more angry and that more determined to get him out of his current meat suit. Sam squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes speaking with more force than before.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.. Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei; contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis

sancto et terribili nomin quem inferi tremunt. Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos."

Ares snapped his fingers causing the crowd to stir once again. He walked up to Sam and smacked his shoulder in what appeared to the crowd to be a friendly gesture, "Just so you know Sam, I'm way above THAT pay grade. I can't be exorcised, this body belongs to me."

Later that night Dean grudgingly went down to the Crescent City Brew house with Adam and Sam after Sam pretty much whined and then turned to emotional blackmail by giving Dean his puppy dog look. Sam knew damn well Dean wouldn't say no to that pathetic face added along with the statement, 'But what would dad want us to do with Adam?' Sam knew he had won the battle the moment Dean grunted to Lexi he'd be home by eleven.

Both Lexi and Jackie were more than fine with the boys going out for some bonding time since they were driving the both of them crazy about the Adam situation. Lexi took the baby monitor down stairs with her joining Jackie on her little balcony that over looked Royal and St. Peters. Jackie carried out two wine glasses and a pitcher of fresh Sangria pouring them each a glass before placing it on the round table. Jackie took a sip of Sangria watching the figures of the three brothers disappear down St. Peters Street. She turned towards Lexi her eyebrow arched, "When did that start?"

"Hmm?"

"I said when did that start? He never had a curfew before, hell Dean never used to even tell you where he was going. He was such a douche nozzle."

"About around the time I had Jake, so maybe a year and a half ago. It's amazing how withholding sex can change a man."

"Wait, so you withheld sex so he'd tell you what time he'd be home? Wouldn't it have been easier to I dunno tell him he needs to tell you when he'd be home?"

"It wasn't just for that, it was what I like to call behavior modification. Ya know like when you train a dog."

Jackie stared at Lexi wide eyed for a moment and then completely lost it. She sat there cracking up, laughing so hard her sides hurt and was having trouble breathing. When she finally regained her composure she took a sip of wine and asked, "You mean positive reinforcement? So you're saying you TRAINED him?"

Lexi smiled around the rim of her wine glass savoring the sangria and the incredulous look on Jackie's face. She tilted her head with an innocent expression on her face, "I don't like to use the word 'trained' but yeah. You know how stubborn Dean is and he has that whole 'I'm the man and what I says goes' attitude so I let him THINK he's in charge and I use the one thing I know will make him fold like a cheap suit, sex."

"Yeah I don't do that. That is way too much work. I just tell Sam what to do and he does it."

"Dean is not the simple."

"It's not that Sammy's simple. Sammy, well he just KNOWS better."

"Dean is thickheaded and what does Dean understand? SEX. I held out once for thirty five days and let me tell you Dean was not a happy camper but I had a point to make. So he swears he's not whipped and he's in charge and I let him keep that delusion becomes it makes him happy."

"Fuck that. I still say it takes too much time, Dean needs to realize you have him by the balls."

They smirked at each other draining their glasses of Sangria and asking how they ended up with these guys. For Lexi it was simple, she fell hard for Dean years ago when they were both living in Ashland, WI. For Jackie, it was a little more complicated. She met Sam through Lexi and Dean and thought it was all just fun and games while he was visiting for spring break. She thought nothing of their two week fling until Sam went all Glenn Close on her calling her his girlfriend on the phone. If you asked Jackie she'd say that Sam eventually wore her down, that there was only so many times you could look at those puppy eyes before you give in. Both girls knew, no matter how much they bitched about their husbands, that they were who they were supposed to be with. They played off each other well and just understood each other. Then again, it made them both wonder how screwed up they must be to join themselves with men that hunted down people's worst nightmares. Lexi poured them another glass of Sangria, raising her glass and announcing, "Here's to being insane enough to marry a Winchester."

"I'll drink to that but let's add and being the only two known women to survive marrying a Winchester."

About a week later Lexi walked into the living room holding an envelope while Dean was watching Triple D. Dean eyed Lexi and the envelope in her hand uneasily. He had a good idea what was in there and he really didn't want to deal with it at the moment. She sat next to him on the couch and held it in front of him to take. He took a long pull on his beer hoping she would just drop it on the coffee table and walk away but that just wasn't her style. Instead, she raised her eyebrow and hit him with the envelope, "Well, this is what you wanted right? Proof. So, why the hell aren't you taking this from me?"

"Cuz I don't feel like dealing with this bullshit anymore. This isn't my mess; this is my father's mess. Why the fuck do I have to clean up another one of his messes, uh?"

Lexi rubbed his arm before leaning against him saying softly, "Because you're the big brother. And if you don't deal with this who's going to? Come on open it up. What's the worst thing that can happen? You're either about to gain a brother or it's still gonna just be you and Sam."

Dean nodded taking the envelope out of her hand and tore it open. He scanned the results quickly before sighing and handing them back to Lexi. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you both share the same father. He is undoubtedly your half-brother."

Dean raised his eyebrow surveying the clutter of bags and chairs Lexi had placed near the door. There was no way they needed to bring all this crap to a parade even if it was two hours long. When he saw the ladder with the seat on top he knew his wife had lost her damn mind. Of course Lexi would buy one of these ladder seats for Jake but there was no way Dean was dragging this down three flights of stairs. "LEX! LEX, CMERE!"

"What?"

"What the hell is this?"

Lexi looked at him somewhat confused as he gestured to the Mardi Gras ladder seat; she thought it was pretty obvious what it was. "It's a Mardi Gras ladder seat."

"Ok and why would you buy one?"

"It's so Jake can see the parades."

"Honey, Jake doesn't need a ladder seat that's what his Uncle Sammy is for and I'm gonna be the one that has to drag it down to the car and through the street. He doesn't need it. And while we're at it, you don't need to bring all this crap. We're not going on vacation."

"We need it. Jake needs to be kept entertained."

Dean rubbed his face and took a deep breath in an attempt not to lose his patience. He didn't understand his wife's logic, why would a kid need to be entertained at a parade? Wasn't that what the parade was for? He walked over to Lexi placing his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, "I love you but you're insane." She began to protest but Dean cut her off before she got another word out, "We're taking the chairs and the coolers, that's it. Everything doesn't have to be a huge production ya know."

Adam was not a happy camper. When he was told they were going to a Mardi gras parade he was psyched but what they forgot to tell him was how far away they would have to park from the parade route. HE huffed dropping the chairs he was carrying on the grass and collapsing next to them. He threw Dean a dirty look for making him carry five chairs two and a half blocks. He was annoyed, how dare Dean make him do manual labor. He reached into the cooler for a beer only to have Sam snatch it out of his hand. "HEY, that's mine."

"I don't think so man, you're underage."

"Whatever, according to my id I'm not."

"Let me guess Dean made that for you?"

"Yes, yes he did and it's awesome."

Dean didn't see what the big deal was about Adam drinking. Both him and Sam had fake ids by the time they were sixteen, hell Dean was sneaking beers by the time he was twelve. Dean raised his hands innocently and smiled at Sam, "Hey man I was just keeping my counterfeit skills sharp."

Sam rolled his eyes and sat in the last chair next to Jackie. He couldn't believe how irresponsible Dean could be at times, especially now that he was a father himself. It wasn't surprising to Sam, after all this is Dean who thinks there is nothing wrong with hustling innocent people in front of his two year old son. Still, Sam hoped by now that his older brother would at least use common sense when it came to Adam. Even though Adam was eighteen he was not an adult, far from it in Sam's eyes. He was still very much a child who grew up in way better circumstances then they did. Maybe that was part of the problem, Dean remembering how he, himself was at eighteen and having a fake id compared to Adam's maturity level at the same age. Jackie nudged Sam jerking him out of his thoughts as she placed a cold beer in his hands, "Back off sasquatch. We're here to have fun not argue on how to raise your little bastard half-brother okay?"

"Okay."

It seemed everyone was having fun except for Adam. He sat in his lawn chair on the other side of Dean with a sour look on his face that remarkably resembled Sam's bitch face. Dean raised his eyebrow as he nudged Adam's side, "Dude, what's the matter?"

"Where are all the girls that are supposed to be flashing us for beads? Isn't that what they're supposed to be doing? All I see are a bunch of little kids and housewives, man."

"Sorry kid but you're not gonna get flashed here. First of all, this is the Garden District and these parades here are rated pg. Second of all, it's not Fat Tuesday and third, if you wanna see tits you gotta be on Bourbon Street with an arm full of beads."

Adam mumbled something about how much this sucked before getting up and heading over to the St. Charles Street Tavern causing Dean to laugh out loud. Sam and Jackie both looked in his direction to see what was so funny but Dean ignored their looks and turned to watch Lexi and Jake return from the vendors. Jake was running slightly ahead of his mother swinging some kind of sword glow stick as she kept pulling him back next to her. Jake dived into his father's lap showing him his new toy and babbling nonsense. Dean ruffled his hair putting him back on the ground and reminded him to stay where they could see him. Jake nodded running towards Sam and Jackie screaming boobies on top of his lungs drawing looks from the people around them. Jackie threw a dirty look at Lexi asking, "Why do you let him do that?"

Lexi looked up from the pulled pork she was devouring with a raised eyebrow, "I told him to stop but he thinks it's funny and since Dean laughs and encourages him to do it he won't stop."

"Well, make them stop it's your husband and demon spawn."

"Don't call him demon spawn. He's a good kid."

"Remember you said that Lex when he's climbing your bookshelf and acting like the Tasmanian devil."

Lexi shrugged and went back to her food, she honestly didn't think Jake was a bad kid. Of course he was a bit rambunctious and mischievous but most two years olds were. Then of course Dean was always encouraging him to do things to annoy his Aunt Jackie and Uncle Sammy but he didn't do them maliciously. He did them cause it makes his daddy laugh. There was the dropping of the ceiling on Sam but in Jake's defense Sam was all evil and black eyed at the time. In Lexi's mind that didn't make her son a bad kid, that just made him protective like his father.

Adam joined them once the parade started; he flopped into the chair next to Jackie reeking of booze. She didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow to him and turned to see where Sam was. Sam was to the left of them holding Jake up on his shoulders while the littlest Winchester screamed at the floats, 'Throw me something mister!' Just when she was thinking how cute and innocent Jake looked up on his Uncle Sammy's shoulders reality came crashing down on her in the form of Mardi gras beads. Jake had dropped a handful of beads onto her head smirking down at her and looking very much like his father as he shouted, "BEADS BOOBIES." Dean, Sam and Adam cracked up drawing dirty looks from both Jackie and Lexi before Dean corrected his son, "It's the other way around buddy. She needs to show you the goods first and THEN you give her the beads."

Ares moved through the crowd slowly and methodically. He had been watching the Winchesters for hours and did not want to be seen. He took in every detail of the family while they interacted with each other. The youngest, Adam, was of no concern to Ares. He could get rid of him as easily as crushing a bug under his designer shoe. Sam and Jackie could be problematic but he was more concerned with the eldest Winchester. Dean Winchester, now there was someone every demon hated. He was driven like his father and would not stop until one of you was dead. So far, Dean killed every demon that went after him or his family but Ares was smarter than those fools. For one, he knew Dean's weakness. She was sitting right next to him. Ares watched as Dean would lean in every now and then for a kiss or he would squeeze her hand or knee. It was obvious by the way he looked at her and if she was just any normal human Ares would've went straight for her. She wasn't though which meant Ares had to do this with some finesse. Dean's little binding spell wasn't strong enough to keep those powers locked down for good, especially if she felt Ares posed a threat to her and her family.

Ares knew he had to send a message to Dean Winchester that would make him think twice about going after him. He was going to send that message when the time was right. Right now wasn't the time. Instead, Ares was up for a little cat and mouse. He headed straight towards them as they packed up their belongings purposely knocking into Jackie and Sam smiling at them before disappearing into the crowd again. Sam stared after the dark haired man, his mouth open slightly. He couldn't believe it, there was no way that was him but it was. That was Ares, Ares had been watching them. Which brought up the questions why was he watching us and for how long? Jackie nudged Sam asking him what was wrong, he only said one word, 'Ares.'

Dean stopped dead in his tracks turning his head to look over his shoulder at Sam. He must have heard wrong, Sam did not just say that name. "What did you say Sammy?"

"Ares. Ares just bumped into me and Jackie."

"WHAT? WHERE DID HE GO?"

Sam pointed in the general direction where Ares had disappeared into the crowd. Dean dropped the chairs he was holding telling Lexi to go back to the Impala with Jake and to take Adam and Jackie with her. Dean gestured to Sam and plunged into the crowd. Sam huffed but followed after him anyway calling his brother's name. This was insanity, nothing good could come from Dean chasing after a demon through the crowded streets of the Garden District. Sam found Dean on Magazine Street looking into the shops' windows like a mad man.

"Dean?"

"I saw that sonofabitch turn down this street and he disappeared into thin air."

"C'mon man, let's head back. It's not like we can take him out in front of all these witnesses."

Both Lexi and Adam bugged Dean the next night about going out to dinner until he caved. They tried to get Sam and Jackie to come along but Sam was in one of his moods. Adam being new to this family unit found it funny that Sam had no problem excluding Dean from something but got all bitch hurt if Dean told him he wanted to hang with his wife and kid alone. Adam was beginning to see how fucked up their dynamic was. He also didn't understand what Sam's problem was with Jake. He was a funny kid and easy to keep entertained. Although, he did manage to get into everything but Adam chalked that up to normal toddler behavior. Adam was starting to think that Sam was just a huge jealous bitch.

The foursome made the short walk to the Market Café because Lexi insisted that she wanted alligator bites. Dean raised his eyebrow when she said this. Normally, she'd make a face and say that wasn't an animal that a person should eat. Dean didn't bother to argue since he knew she'd have some bullshit reason on why she suddenly changed her mind. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched her inhale her food. This wasn't like her at all; Lexi was one of those chicks that ate like a bird. She also constantly tried to get him to improve his table manners saying though she thought it was cute how bad they were she didn't want to subject other diners to them. She must've been pmsing or something.

All in all they had a good time sitting out on the patio and listening to the house jazz band. It wasn't until Lexi had left to take Jake down to Aunt Sally's to buy some Pralines when things went to hell. Dean and Adam were sitting at the table having some beers while they waited for Lexi and Jake to return. Dean was no longer welcomed in Aunt Sally's since the last time he devoured each flavor of Praline samples they had out on display. Dean's argument to the woman was that they were samples and free and that they couldn't put a limit on how much one person ate. Needless to say she didn't agree with Dean's argument and banned him from ever stepping foot in her candy store again. Adam smirked around the top of his beer bottle as he listened to Dean retell the story of his banning from Jake's favorite candy store. Adam's expression suddenly changed as he stared into the bar of the restaurant. Dean turned to see what or who had Adam's attention. Dean expected to see some hot girl at the bar but instead only saw a tall prissy dark haired man. He raised his eyebrow looking at Adam, "Thought you didn't play for that team man."

"What? No, no I don't. That's the demon that beat me to a pulp."

"Are you absolutely positive that's the guy?"

"Yeah Dean, I'm absolutely fucking positive. You don't tend to forget the person that handed your ass to you."

Dean nodded getting up and making a bee line for the princess in the designer suit. He wasn't thinking straight, if he was he wouldn't be marching up to some demon in a public place without backup. Dean was angry; actually he was more than angry, he was pissed the fuck off. First, this douche bag kicked the shit out of his little brother, yeah he was actually beginning to think of Adam as his little brother and second, he was trying to worm his way into Lexi's life by saying he's her brother. Yeah, like that fucking mattered, he was still a God damned demon, brother or no brother. It wasn't like Lexi had any real emotional ties to this son of a bitch and besides that demons lie. Dean had to admit though this guy was good. He knew exactly how to get to Lexi by playing the family card.

Dean sat on the bar stool next to the man Adam had identified as being Ares studying him out of the corner of his eye. Ares in return pretended not to notice him sipping his red wine pretentiously while looking through the menu. Dean's hand curled tightly around the colt wanting so bad to just blow this guy away. He knew he couldn't just pull out a gun and seemingly kill a guy in cold blood with all these witnesses around. Realizing he should've waited and followed the demon out to off him in one of the many dark alleys, Dean got up to go back to his table. Ares turned towards Dean smirking, "Now Dean you know it's not going to be that easy to get rid of me."

Dean turned slowly back towards him meeting his gaze, "You know I won't stop till one of us is dead."

"How incredibly HEROIC of you. No wonder my little sister is infatuated with you. You have that gallant air about you even if you are a brute."

"Is that the best you got? You're taunting's lame man, my bitch little brother can do better than that."

"Of course I can do better you imbecile." Ares sneered reaching out and touching Dean's face, "Why don't you try that on for size?"[Soft Break]Dean recoiled instinctively at Ares' touch wiping at his cheek, "What the fuck did you do?"

"You won't have to wait long to see."

Dean pulled the colt from his jacket aiming it at Ares, Ares didn't flinch at the sight of the gun, instead he winked at Dean before disappearing. Dean looked around the bar making sure Ares was really gone before slipping the colt back into his jacket and rejoining Adam. Adam watched Dean as he took a long pull from the bottle of beer that he was now holding in his hand. Even though he hasn't known Dean for very long, Adam felt that something was off with Dean at the moment. He didn't look like himself at all and the one thing that stood out for him was the fact that Dean had begun to sweat. He was also slightly pale and looked in danger of becoming sick at the table.

Dean awoke to a pair of concerned green eyes staring back at him. He was slightly confused as to why he was lying on the ground with his head in Lexi's lap.

"Dean, are you okay?"

"'m fine." Dean muttered sitting up before gripping her arm tightly, "'m not fine….everything's spinning."

He leaned back against her closing his eyes and taking deep breaths in hopes that the world would stop moving. He vaguely heard her giving directions to someone, something about water and call Sam. He let the voices drift away his head lolling back against Lexi's chest. He felt terrible, worse than he could ever remember feeling before this. Next thing he knew someone was forcing him to his feet. He turned to see Sam on one side of him and Adam on the other.

"Sammy….."

"What happened, Dean?"

"Dunno…I feel like shit run over."

He closed his eyes again catching snippets of the conversation that was going on around him. He didn't comprehend the actual words but could hear the anxiety in Lexi and Sam's voices. Everything around him seemed far away and fuzzy. He didn't complain as Sam helped Lexi undress him in the bathroom, the sound of water and something hard hitting the porcelain tub filling the room, he felt like he was watching it all happen from the outside looking in. He yelped when they lowered him into the ice bath jolting him back to reality.

"Fuck!"

"Dean stay put." Lexi stated firmly placing her hand on his shoulder, "You're burning up. I have to break your fever. It'll make you feel better, I promise."

"How long do I have to….have to stay in?"

"Shhh….relax baby, not long I swear. I just need to bring down your fever and this is the quickest way for me to do that."

Dean leaned his head back against the cool tile letting Lexi mop his fore head with a cold cloth. He half listened to her soothing words which made him feel like a little kid when his mom would take care of him. "I want tomato and rice soup."

"Ok, sweetie, I'll make you some in a little while."

A few moments later Dean felt himself being helped out of the tub. He heard Adam protesting about having to help because he didn't want to have to see his brother's junk. Dean laughed when he heard Lexi ask him if that was because Adam didn't think he'd measure up to his big brother. She wrapped a towel around Dean's waist telling Adam to either help her or get the hell out of her way. Adam huffed making a big production of leaving by stomping out of the bathroom and slamming the door.

After getting Dean into bed and giving him a shot of antibiotics Lexi went in the living room to join Sam, Jackie and Adam. Their faces showed exactly what she was feeling; concern and anger. Lexi turned to Adam running her hands through her long dark hair. "What happened?"

"I'm not really sure. Dean went up to Ares and it looked like he touched Dean's face. He came back to the table and boom sick."

Sam looked at each of them not being able to hide the fear in his voice, "I've never heard of a demon being able to make someone sick."

"Well he's not just some demon, now is he?" Jackie stated simply, "The Greeks thought he was the God of war, so my guess is he's got some extra tricks up his designer sleeves."

"Sam and Jackie see what you can find on Ares and anything about demons making people sick. Adam I need you to watch Jake for me and I'm gonna do whatever I can to break this fever."

Lexi kept vigil by Dean's bed side all night monitoring his fever and vitals. Sometime during the early morning hours she fell asleep in the club chair she had dragged close to Dean's side of the bed, the ancient book she was reading was open on the floor beneath her feet. Dean rubbed his eyes and looked around the bedroom confused as to why Lexi was sleeping in the chair and not in the bed with him. He sat up feeling slightly strange and felt a bit hung over but he couldn't remember anything after joining Adam back at the table after Ares touched him.

"Lexi?" Dean croaked shaking her leg gently, "Baby girl, why you sleeping in the chair?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you in bed?"

Lexi jumped up her eyes wide as she stared at Dean. She immediately went into doctor mode taking his temperature and vitals. Dean insisted he felt fine except for a slight headache and achy stomach. "Why are you playing doctor anyway? I'm just hung over."

"No you're not. Last night you were sick. You had a 106 degree fever by the time we got you back here."

"How is that even fucking possible?"

"One word, Ares."

"SON OF A BITCH! HE TOUCHED MY FACE AND SAID 'TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE.' I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"

"Dean, calm down and you are not going near him."

"The hell I ain't! That son of a bitch tried to kill me!"

"Stop it. You can't just go after him with no plan. We've been doing research, he's much stronger than any demon we've went up against."

"So, I'm just supposed to let him walk? I don't think so Lex."

"Of course not. It means we need to find a way to get rid of him. He has to have a weakness and we need to find it before we take him on."

Dean nodded hating the fact that she was right again. He knew that he'd be no good to anyone if he was six feet under. Dean let Lexi win this round; he even went as far as letting her make him some breakfast. He hated seeing the way her and Sam were watching him like a hawk. He reassured them that he felt fine now and whatever Ares had done to him had worn off. Dean knew it was a warning. If a love tap from Ares could make him that sick what could he really do if he meant to hurt someone? Dean really didn't want to know the answer but he knew it wasn't good.

Later that night

Adam convinced Dean and Jackie to go down to Bourbon Street with him. Dean was sure Lexi was going to throw an epic bitch fit and told the other two he'd meet up with them in a few minutes if he could. After what happened the night before he wanted to make sure she was really okay with him going out. "You sure you're okay with me going out? You're not gonna hold this against me five years from now?"

"Yeah, Dean, its fine. I think Adam feels guilty about last night. So go have a few drinks with him."

"Okay, I'll be back in an hour."

Dean walked into the Funky Pirate and immediately spotted Jackie and Adam at the bar. Jackie was nursing a beer while Adam had a pyramid of shot glasses stacked in front of him. Dean gestured to Jackie to take the stool next to her so he could sit between her and Adam. Dean raised his eyebrows at Adam asking if he drank all those shots in the twenty minutes it took him to get down there. Adam looked at him bleary eyed and smiled, that was Dean's answer right there. "I've been doing hand grenades. Jackie bet me I couldn't drink ten of em."

"And you took that bet?"

"Yes sir! I'm no girl!"

"Dumb ass."

Adam began to whine about Jackie being no fun and Dean, as his big brother, had to do shots with him. It took a moment or two but Dean agreed flagging down the bartender and ordered double shots of scotch neat. Adam stared down at the amber liquid that filled the shot glass in front of him before turning to Dean, "What's this crap?"

"It's scotch."

"I don't like scotch."

"Shut up and drink it wuss."

"I said, I don't like scotch!"

"Did you or did you not say you wanted to do shots with me? Well guess what Adam this is what I drink. So stop being a bitch even Lexi can shoot whiskey."

Jackie leaned over Dean taunting Adam making him huff and pull the same bitch face Sam makes which only made her and Dean crack up. "What's so funny?" Adam demanded swaying on his bar stool.

"Nothing. Except for the fact that you look exactly like my husband right now but a lot shorter."

"HMPH. I don't like you."

"Okay." Jackie shrugged not caring either way if Adam liked her or not. She turned her attention to Dean asking what his plan was regarding Ares. She told him not to be a damn hot head for once and to listen to the three of them. He took a swig of beer before mocking her; he jumped in surprise after Jackie smacked him upside the head. "Dumb ass."

"I'm not a dumb ass. You think a chick as smart as Lexi would be with me if I was stupid?"

"Lexi over looks your dumbassness because she likes your dick and you make pretty babies."

Dean's mouth dropped open at a loss for a comeback. Instead, he turned to his left to talk to Adam who was now suddenly missing in action. "Where the hell did he go?"

"Oh, who gives a shit. He'll come stumbling back, Dean trust me. No one else would want that whiny brat."

Dean turned around in his stool, his eyes searching the dimly lit bar when he started poking Jackie and laughing. He gestured towards the stage causing Jackie to laugh so hard she almost dropped her beer. On stage was Adam totally wasted and belting out Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer.' Jackie pulled out her cell phone smiling from ear to ear, "We can't let him forget this."

"You're evil, ya know that Jackie."

"No one told him to get drunk and do karaoke. I'm just preserving his jack ass antics for prosperity."

"Uh huh and you wonder why I thought you were a demon when we met."

"Whatever. You're an idiot that's why you assumed I was possessed."

Dean huffed, he wasn't being an idiot the first time he met her. He found her to be suspicious by the way she offered up her opinions to Lexi about him. To Dean, Jackie was worming her way into Lexi's life just like Ares was doing now. Any hunter would have assumed she was a demon. Of course, it all back fired when he attacked Jackie one night when she was leaving work and was forced to tell her what he did for a living. Dean finished off his beer before checking the time on his watch and pulling a face, "I gotta go."

"Lexi give you a bed time?"

"Nah, I told her I'd be back in an hour."

"Well, you're not leaving me here alone with him. Go get him off the stage and let's go."

Adam pouted and protested about leaving like any toddler would. Dean being experienced with handling difficult and spoiled children bribed Adam with the promise of more alcohol. He got off the stage willingly not even realizing that Dean was walking him out the door until they were out on Bourbon Street. "You lied!"

"Yeah, I did. You've had plenty."

Jackie lit up a cigarette passing the pack to Dean asking if he wanted one. Jackie arched her eyebrow as she listened to Dean explain that earlier that day Lexi was bitching at him that the smell of his camels were making her nauseous. She even went as far as telling him to brush his teeth before she would let him kiss her. Jackie shook her head and smirked, she wasn't surprised that Dean hadn't put two and two together yet. It was obvious to her what was really going on with Lexi but Dean wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed that was for sure, which of course was one of the things that made Dean likeable in her opinion.

Jackie helped him get Adam through the front door before making up some excuse about Sam being in one of his moods again and leaving Dean to man handle Adam on his own. Dean dumped Adam unceremoniously onto the mattress in what was once Jake's room. By the time he pulled his boots off Adam was out cold. Dean moved the trash can next to the bed and covered Adam with a blanket before shutting the light and leaving the room. He then raided the fridge and watched a little television before heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He flipped on the overhead light his eyes immediately drawn to the counter. There as plain as day sat a pregnancy test on the edge of the vanity. Dean swallowed, his hands beginning to sweat as he suddenly felt nervous. They had been trying now for about four months with no luck. He wasn't nervous because he didn't want another kid, he was nervous because he knew how bad Lexi wanted this to happen. And if Dean was completely honest with himself, he wanted it too. Plus, he knew if it was negative again she was going to be heart broken. He looked down at the stick shaking his head before making his way into the bedroom to see if Lexi was still awake. Dean found her sitting on their bed with Jake in her lap as she read to him. He stood in the door way a moment longer than he needed to taking in the scene before him. "You're not very subtle leaving the test on the counter so I could find it. Told you the charts were crap."

"What are you talking about?"

"The pregnancy test."

"OH! I forgot about it. Jake woke up and he's been giving me a hard time about going back to sleep."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You're knocked up."

"SERIOUSLY? Where is it? Are you sure? Was there one or two lines?"

"One, why would I lie about that? Two, it's on the counter in the bathroom. And three, it was pink."

Lexi handed Jake to Dean rushing out of the bedroom. He couldn't help but smirk when he heard her shrieking 'I'm pregnant.' over and over again. Adam obviously heard her too stumbling out of his bed and yelling at her to shut up because some people were trying to sleep. She ignored him running back into her bedroom and kissing Dean. She began shrieking again but this time she was jumping up and down and grinning from ear to ear causing Sam to start banging on the floor. Dean smirked and started stomping on the floor to annoy both his brothers even more.

Lexi started her campaign to get a house the morning following finding out she was pregnant. At first it was a subtle dropping of hints but by day three Dean could no longer feign ignorance on the subject. Lexi was now going online checking realty websites looking for what she thought was the perfect house. She was even leaving the realty section of the newspaper in strategic places so that Dean would find it. Dean would roll his eyes when he came across them and would just add them to his tower of old newspapers. His argument was they had plenty of time to get a bigger place while Lexi would turn giving him a haughty look.

Dean chalked her behavior up to Lexi being Lexi since she had a tendency to worry and obsess over things. According to Lexi though, they needed to start looking now since they needed certain things. Her wish list was a bit overwhelming to Dean, he could hardly remember ever living in a house, he was used to moving from dingy motel rooms to shit hole apartments. The idea of living in a huge house with a yard was kind of scary to him and a little too Norman Rockwell for Dean's liking. "We don't need a big place, Lex."

"No? There's going to be me, you, Jake, the baby and Adam. Or is Adam going to live with Sam and Jackie?"

Dean huffed knowing he just lost any hope of winning this argument. There was no way Adam was going to move in with Sam and Jackie. For one, Adam really didn't get Jackie's sarcasm wasn't meant to be mean but that's how he always took it. And two, he was always complaining to Dean how Sam smothered him and made him feel uncomfortable. Whether Dean liked it or not, Adam had latched on to him and wasn't about to leave any time soon. Although, Dean had to admit he liked having a live in babysitter, plus Jake really did like having Adam around to play with. "Fine, Lex, you win, go find a house."

"REALLY?"

"Yeah, I just have some conditions."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest while eyeing him carefully. She didn't like this at all; she knew Dean all too well and was sure he was just going to make this difficult for her to find the perfect house. "Oh really? What kind of conditions are we talking about here Dean?"

"For one, it has to be within the city. I know you and your crazy romantic notions. We are not living in some Tara replica because you think that's what a southern house should be. And two, it can't be crazy expensive. Three, we aren't buying anything, it has to be rented. Who knows if will even be here in a year and we're not gonna be tied down by a house. Got it?"

"Tara? When did you watch Gone with the wind?"

"You made me suffer through that and stop changing the subject. Do we have a deal or not?"

"FINE. It'll be in the city and it won't be crazy expensive and it'll be a rental. Happy?"

"Yes."

It didn't take Lexi long to find a house. Actually, it took her just three days. When she came home smiling ear to ear Dean knew he was in trouble. Wearily, he asked her why she was so happy, Lexi responded by telling him she had found the "perfect" house. Dean rolled his eyes knowing there was no such thing as perfect but instead of saying so he asked casually where it was located.

"Just a few blocks down the street."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you said within the city. It's in the Marigny on Royal about seven blocks down."

"By the park?"

"Hmm mmm like two blocks from the park. Let's go, I got the keys."

"What?"

"Stop. You're gonna love it. Trust me."

Dean stared up at the house in front of him in shock. Lexi was out of her damn mind, they didn't need to live in a Victorian Mansion, and the place was enormous. He should've been more specific in his conditions that he gave her. He turned to his ecstatic wife who was obviously very proud of her find and blurted out, "Are you insane?"

"What?"

"Are. You. INSANE?"

"No, I'm not insane, my parents had me tested."

"Lex, baby, we can't afford a place like this. Come on, this is like filet mignon and we're ground chuck."

"Don't say no until you see the place, then you can decide. Hey look it's got an iron fence around the whole property, demons can't get in."

"Okay, I'll give you that one."

She opened the gate gesturing for him to follow her as she rambled on and on about why it was a great house for them. Dean had to admit the house was pretty sweet but they really didn't need a formal living room and dining room plus six bedrooms. It was just too much house for them and if Dean was honest it was kinda overwhelming too. Dean followed Lexi through the kitchen and out in the court yard. His eyes grew wide when he saw the barbeque pit and the size of the courtyard. He was only half listening to Lexi while she pointed out that the court yard had various trees in it like banana, kumquat and palm trees. All he could think about was running to the market and buying a shit load of ribs and firing up the pit. He looked at her his eyebrow raised, "How much did you say this place cost?"

"I didn't say but its five hundred dollars a month plus utilities."

"Why so cheap? Who died here?"

"No one died here Dean. I work with the guy that owns it. He had to put his mom in a nursing home and he doesn't want to sell the house. Plus the furniture comes with it."

"That's a good deal then."

"Yeah and there's plenty of room for Sam and Jackie."

"Excuse me?"

"I said there's plenty of room for Sam and Jackie."

"You want them to move in here too?"

"If they want to. The house is huge plus Sam will practically be living here anyway."

"You've done good babe. When can we move in?"

"He gave me the keys and I already paid him the first month's rent so immediately."

Dean smiled, really smiled, Jake was gonna love it here, he could ride his bike in the court yard and they could play catch. They could let Jake be a normal kid for a little while at least, hell maybe Dean would even go and get the kid a dog. But, first thing first, Dean was gonna fire up that barbeque pit.

Dean, Lexi and Adam had stared packing the night before eager to move into their new place. Sam and Jackie however, were still in their apartment arguing over what should be packed and what should be left behind. Dean figured that they would be sorted out by around dinner time since he's had the same argument with Sammy his entire life. The foursome was in rare form today Adam noticed while watching Dean argue with Lexi about carrying things inside. He really didn't get how Lexi could stand Dean's overprotectiveness. "Oh, yeah Dean, don't let the pregnant chick carry that pillow. She might break her neck and die. She's only a couple weeks man I'm pretty sure she's fine."

"Shut your mouth Adam."

Adam stuck his tongue at Dean pushing past him up the porch steps. He loved getting under his big brother's skin, it was just too easy. He knew exactly how to push his buttons to make the vein in his forehead to start throbbing and Adam enjoyed every minute of it. He called out to Dean to come inside saying there was something he had to see. Adam gestured to the kitchen when Dean walked through the front door, he pulled a face but headed to the kitchen anyway. Dean stopped dead in his tracks, there was Lexi on top of the island cleaning off the rack that was holding the pots and pans. "Get DOWN! Or at least use the damned step stool. That's why it's there midget." Dean snapped walking into the kitchen and pulling her down onto the floor, "You're pregnant."

"I'm aware of that. And for your information I can't reach it from the step stool."

"Then call me and I'll do it. You shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting or stuff like that. What were you trying to grab?"

"Nothing I was cleaning. It's perfectly safe for me to do those things."

"Of course you're gonna say that. You're gonna put me in an early grave."

Lexi rolled her eyes and huffed, he was so overprotective sometimes it drove her bat shit crazy. She watched him move around the kitchen unpacking, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. He might have been over bearing, one might even say he was suffocating but no one could say he wasn't sexy as hell. Lexi pounced pushing Dean back against the counter and smirking up at him. She kissed him slipping her hands under his shirt and biting his lower lip. Dean grabbed her hips pulling her closer to him, he had to admit this was the part of pregnancy that he loved.

Adam walked into the kitchen and hopped up on the counter, this was the perfect time to get a little pay back for Dean's teasing. He watched them making out for a minute before letting his presence be known. "Ya know people eat in here."

They both pulled away from each other and shouted, "ADAM!"

"What?"

"Get lost." Lexi growled reaching over and attempting to push him off the counter, "Cock block."

"No the kitchen is PUBLIC domain. Take your sex games upstairs where they belong."

Jackie couldn't contain her excitement when she walked into the house on Royal Street. She went from room to room her eyes wide in awe saying over and over, 'Seriously?' She headed out to the court yard to find Dean, she found him with a beer in his hand as he checked the progress his ribs were making. He looked happy, something Jackie thought was all too rare for Dean. "Whatcha cooking there?"

"Ribs."

"OOOH that sounds good. Can you believe this place? Who died?"

"No one died, Jackie. You're so pessimistic."

Jackie shook her head laughing and grabbing herself a beer, "That's rich coming from you."

"Where's Sammy?"

"Unpacking. You know how OCD he is, he won't be able to sleep if he has boxes in our room."

Sam came outside once dinner was ready, he scrunched up his face in disgust eyeing Dean's plate. Dean already had a pile of bones next to him, his hands and face covered in barbeque sauce. "You're disgusting Dean."

"Wha? How else am I supposed to eat ribs princess? And don't worry I made you girls some chicken."

Sam huffed making himself a plate before sitting next to Adam and Jackie. His face once again screwed up from disgust. They were like wild animals sucking the meat off the bones so that they were completely devoid of any remnants of meat. Adam and Dean smirked and began a huge production of eating and licking their fingers. They continued this for a good ten minutes before Sam finally broke.

"Will you stop! You're both disgusting have you any couth?"

"Couth?" Dean asked raising his eyebrow, "What's couth?"

"It means having good manners and refinement Dean." Lexi said simply.

Dean looked over at Sam with a serious expression on his face and a rib in one hand, "I can't speak for Adam, Sammy but I ain't got any of that."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

3am

Lexi was woken up suddenly by strange sounds coming from downstairs thanks to being a light sleeper since Jake was born. She sat up and listened carefully and decided to see what the ruckus was. She stood in the archway of the kitchen watching Adam opening and closing the cabinets. She could tell he was agitated by his body language and the fact that he was now banging the cabinets and fridge opened and closed. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"It's three a.m. sweetie." Lexi stated gently pointing to the kitchen chair, "No, you sit. I'll make you some tea."

Adam huffed and puffed complaining that he didn't want tea but he took a seat at the kitchen table anyway. Lexi took the seat across from him taking the beer out of his hand and informing him he was not going to be drinking that night since he wasn't of age."

"I can make my own damn decisions and I've already been out drinking with YOUR husband twice. I didn't hear you telling me I couldn't drink then. I think I can handle a beer, hell I was taking care of myself for months before I found any of you."

"Not very well and I'm not going to let you turn into your father on my watch. You're having tea and we're going to talk."

Adam dropped his gaze to his hands not wanting to meet her eyes, he knew what she wanted to talk about and he didn't want to. Hell, he didn't even wanna think about it. It was bad enough every time he closed his eyes to sleep he re-lived that night again. He wrapped his hands around the warm mug Lexi had placed in front of him still not meeting her eyes, he didn't drink the warm beverage either but for some reason he felt comforted by its smell and warmth. They sat in complete silence for a good fifteen minutes until Lexi finally asked if he had been having trouble sleeping for some time now. Adam nodded in response lifting his gaze to meet her eyes.

"I'll give you Ambien. I'm a doctor Adam, I know you're depressed and I know this is about your mom."

"I'm not depressed and I don't wanna talk. I don't have anything to say. I dunno what you're expecting to hear anyway."

"Okay. Adam you don't have to talk but you're not gonna drink because you're depressed."

Adam sighed rubbing his face before taking a sip of tea. He knew there was no way he was gonna win here. She saw right through him, hell she had years of experience with dealing with Dean, which he knew meant he wasn't gonna be able to get over on her. He decided his best bet was just to be honest with her and admitted that he had been drinking so he would fall asleep.

"I can write you a script for Ambien."

"Thanks. I just wanna forget about it."

Lexi watched as Adam headed upstairs to his room. She knew she couldn't let him stew like this, it wasn't healthy and if he was gonna work with them he had to be in the right frame of mind. What exactly was the right frame of mind for a hunter she wasn't sure but she knew being drunk on a job or depending on alcohol wasn't what Adam should be doing. She went up to his room and walked in without knocking, Adam looked at her his eyebrow raised waiting for her to say something.

"You can't forget about her. Do you wanna turn into Dean? Honestly, all that tough shit is just a façade. You wanna be broken like Dean? That's what you want to be?"

"I'm not trying to be anything, I'm trying to get by."

"Burying shit isn't getting by. It's gonna blow up in your face eventually. My real mom was killed by a demon too. I was too young to remember her. I still feel that loss, my whole life I knew I didn't belong with my adoptive parents before I even knew the truth, but you got to know your mom. You have memories I wish I had."

"And now I've got ones you wouldn't want."

"That's true but you can't let them run your life or ruin your memories of her. Don't remember her like that. She wouldn't want you to. I know I wouldn't want Jake to if that happened to me."

"I can't stop seeing it. I shut my eyes, I try and go to sleep and its right fucking there. I can't sleep."

Lexi hugged Adam rubbing his back and letting him cry. She didn't say anything letting him get out all the grief and frustration he had been carrying around for months. Once he pulled away she placed a pill in his hand telling him to take it if he wanted to get some sleep. He hugged and thanked her and then asked her not to tell Dean and Sam, she nodded telling him this would stay between them and tomorrow she would write him the script.

Lexi walked back into her bedroom to find Dean awake and watching television. He gave her a funny look before asking her what she was doing out of bed. Lexi shrugged climbing in next to him and said she had gone downstairs for something to eat. She kissed his cheek adding, "I think you need to hang out with Adam more often. I think he might be having a hard time dealing with everything that's happened to him."


End file.
